My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil
by Emmylia
Summary: Bella Malfoy has all a girl could ask for. Loving family, friends, and a power that begins to change her life and the lives of everyone she holds dear.
1. Prologue and Pureblood and Muggleborn

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

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**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo)_**

**_Hello again! Hehe! Well now, I wanted to do something different for this one. And trust me I tried five different scenarios before I settled on this one. But once I did the story just poured out of me. I couldn't stop the words from flowing out. So I hope you enjoy this story and I thank you for taking the time to check it out! _**

**_As always I would like to remind people Harry Potter and all that jazz belongs to J.K. Rowling. I just enjoy messing with her world. _**

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**_Prologue_**

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Lucius Malfoy strolled down the streets of the Spanish Wizarding village, heading to a local residence. His long platinum blonde hair was hidden under the hood of a cloak. His sharp grey eyes were taking everything in. It was a dark night, with the scent of a storm in the air. He hurried his pace, his expensive boots clicking innocently against the street. Of course there was nothing innocent about what he was doing here.

Lucius was on his way to meet his mistress. The young woman lived alone, having been disowned by her own family many years ago when she was discovered to be a witch. Lucius rolled his eyes as he recalled that bit of information. And people wondered why he hated Muggles. Yet curiously Lucius did not mind that this young witch was Muggleborn. Here, in the quiet little village nestled in the Spanish countryside, he was not the pureblood Lord of Malfoy. He was simply Lucius. Something he had never thought he would enjoy. Until he'd met the young witch named Mireya Diaz. She was beautiful, with skin the color of cinnamon, eyes shaped like almonds and the color of chocolate, long wavy black hair that shined with blue highlights in the sunlight. She was as tall as Narcissa Malfoy, and held herself with the same amount of pride as the pureblood witch. Not that Narcissa knew about Mireya. Lucius shuddered to think what his wife would do to the poor Muggleborn if they should ever meet.

Shaking aside that unpleasant thought he pushed open the gate to the little tidy yard in front of the cozy two-story cottage he'd bought for her. Mireya stood at the doorway, a smile on her lips and a hand on her swollen stomach. Lucius stared at her for a second, then grinned, walking forward to greet her with a deep kiss. "Mireya." He whispered against her cheek as he embraced her.

"I was afraid you weren't coming." She said in her pleasingly accented English. Lucius's eyes glittered as he followed her inside.

"Why would I not come?" He asked, sitting down in the armchair by the fireplace. Mireya waved her wand and a bottle and cup flew towards her. She caught them both with ease, pouring some firewhiskey into the cup and handing it to her lover. Lucius drank deeply, completely relaxing now that he was here with his love. Mireya smiled at him, placing the bottle on the coffee table and settling herself in his lap. She giggled as he nuzzled her neck, breathing deeply the perfume of roses that clung to her, thanks to the large rosebushes she tended to in her backyard. His Mireya was a pleasantly simple thing. Not when it came to her mind of course. Mireya was as intelligent as Narcissa, sometimes even more so.

She soaked things up like a sponge. Three years ago when they'd first met, she had not known a word of English. Now she spoke it as fluently as if she'd grown up in England. She had since learned Japanese, French and Italian, she was working on learning German and Chinese. Lucius enjoyed her views on politics and the way she never asked for gifts or any sort of spoiling. Indeed, the few things she did ask for made Lucius laugh. This cottage was one of those things she'd asked for, and Lucius had laughed at the meager price when she'd shone it to him. He'd chuckled when she'd blushed and stammered out the request for a new dress robe. The diamond necklace he'd given her for last Christmas had nearly sent her into shock. Lucius enjoyed her presence and her personality.

He loved the simpleness that she embodied. With her great beauty she could have wooed any millionaire or pureblood she wished. But she did not. She had rejected every man before Lucius. And she continued to reject them, even though Lucius had told her time and time again that she was more than allowed to have a lover of her own. One that did not sneak around and visit only thrice a month. But Mireya refused, and the last time he'd brought it up, she'd gotten very angry with him.

Lucius chuckled now as he recalled that argument, and the words that had spread a warmth throughout his body. He stared down at Mireya's stomach and chuckled more.

"What is so funny?" Mireya demanded, flicking his nose and glaring at him with those warm eyes.

"I'm just remembering the night this little one was created." He told her, causing a brilliant red blush to stain her cheeks. He laughed and set his cup down, placing his hand on her belly. The child kicked and Lucius sighed.

"How is Draco doing?" Mireya asked now. She knew of his other family. She knew all of Lucius's secrets. Yet she stayed by him.

"He is doing well. He's turned two months just last week." Mireya nodded, patting her stomach now as well.

"Do you hear that?" She asked the little child growing inside her. "Your elder brother is two months old now." Lucius felt a pang as he watched Mireya speak to his second child. Would this child and Draco ever meet? Would he ever be able to stop torturing Mireya like this? He could not leave her now, not even if he wanted to. He certainly did _not_ want to. Muggleborn or not, she'd wormed her way into his very soul, or so that's how it felt to him. Without Mireya he'd suffer a half-life, and never know true happiness again. "What do you think it'll be mi amor?" She asked Lucius now, placing his hand back on her belly as the child within kicked.

"A girl no doubt." Lucius smirked. Mireya smiled indulgently then.

"A girl? Why do you think that?"

"I want a girl. A Malfoy always gets what he wants." Lucius stated simply, kissing her cheek and nuzzling her long dark hair. Mireya laughed and Lucius delighted in the sound. They sat like that for a few moments before Mireya rose.

"Then what shall we name her, if she is indeed a girl?" Mireya asked, summoning a piece of parchment and a quill from the upstairs sitting room. She settled now on the couch and Lucius joined her, making her rest against him. She kissed his cheek as Lucius stared at the flames.

"It must be a noble name. One that will suit an heir of Malfoy." Mireya looked up at him then, her eyes cautious.

"Will she be an heir of Malfoy?" Lucius blinked down at her, his eyes shocked.

"Of course." Lucius realized then why she had asked. "I will not tolerate my child not knowing of her heritage." Lucius told her sharply. "She is a Malfoy, noble blood flows in her veins. I would not deny my own blood her place in the world."

Mireya smiled up at him sadly, as if he'd missed a vital point. "But here in Spain, she is nothing but the daughter of a rich English man and his lover." She paused as Lucius scowled at the flames. "However, it will be good for her to at least know her heritage. Someday when she is old enough, she can seek you out."

Lucius's grey eyes narrowed. He cupped the twenty-two-year-old's face and leveled a deadly glare at her. "Are you saying I will not be allowed to see my own child Mireya?"

Mireya stared at him with something like wonder in her eyes. "Are you saying she will be able to see you? More than this I mean." She gestured between them. "She will grow up with her Papa, awaken in his home everyday, sit with him at mealtimes and learn magic at his side?" Lucius sighed heavily, before nodding and kissing her. Mireya felt something flutter in her heart. Something bittersweet.

"That's what I wanted to speak of, during my last visit." Lucius told her now. Mireya leaned against him, doodling on the parchment as she listened. "I want you to move to England." There was a pause before Mireya let out a sharp breath. Lucius waited, knowing she was trying to form coherent thought in her mind. He had told her a year before that she must never enter England, for fear that the Death Eaters would find her. But now he was saying he wanted her there?

"Why? Did you not say that Voldemort was still in control?" Mireya did not fear the name. Being discarded and left to fend for herself in this world had given her very little to fear. Names were not something to fear.

Lucius once more marveled at her easy use of the name he feared. He kissed her forehead and held her closer. "Yes he is, but I feel anxious when I leave you. His power grows daily, and he is sending more and more Death Eaters here." Lucius stared at her searchingly before continuing. "I have a friend. He is with me today, but I left him at the inn." Mireya rose from her leaning position to level Lucius with a deep gaze. Her thinking gaze. "He has promised me he can offer you protection, but he will not tell me how, for my own protection of course. If the Dark Lord suspects I know something I should not, he will raid my mind and endanger my friend."

"He can offer me protection in England?"

"He says he can. And I trust him."

Mireya was silent for a long moment, her hand unconsciously protecting her unborn child.

"Very well." Mireya said finally, looking at Lucius with the full weight of her trust in him. "Bring him here and we shall speak."

Lucius kissed her hands and her lips before whisking away. Mireya waited anxiously for five minutes before Lucius was back with a man about her age in tow. He had dark hair and dark cold eyes. He was not handsome but not ugly either. He looked worn though, as if the weight of two planets were on him. Lucius stood there as his friend stared at the Muggleborn witch. Mireya stared back for a second before sighing as she tried to stand. Lucius hurried ot her side, knowing that in these last weeks Mireya had trouble moving about on her own. Her back ached and she felt off balance at times. His friend watched silently.

Once Mireya was on her feet, Lucius turned to address the other man. "Severus, this is Mireya Diaz. Mireya, this is my long-time friend, Severus Snape."

"A pleasure, Miss Diaz." Severus said softly, his eyes catching the caution in the woman's eyes and the way her hands shielded her rounded belly from his eyes. "You should not tempt fate. Sit, you look tired." Mireya offered him a small smile as she nodded and allowed Lucius to help her sit back on the couch.

"Please, Senor Snape, sit." Mireya offered. Severus sat down then and they stared at each other once more. Mireya broke the silence. "Lucius, I believe your friend wishes you to leave now." Lucius looked at Severus, who nodded his confirmation, before bending to kiss Mireya and then he swiftly walked outside, into the backyard. Severus cast Muffilato and then he looked at Mireya with critical eyes.

"I would not have believed this if I had not just seen it." Severus told her with a smirk. "The great Lucius Malfoy, with a Muggleborn."

"Does my blood status offend you?" Mireya asked.

"....No." Severus replied truthfully. "It is merely amazing to think of Lucius with a Muggleborn, when he has spouted nothing but pureblood elitism since I've known him. Then again, purebloods pass down that belief that Muggleborns are not good enough for anything." Severus now steeled himself. He couldn't believe he was doing this, but Lucius had looked desperate. "I must know, before I tell you anything, how much Lucius means to you?"

"Senor--"

"Call me Severus."

"Severus." Mireya tried it out. "Severus, for three years I have lived this life with Lucius. I wait for him, I am loyal to him alone, I ask for little in return other than his affection. He gives me love and comfort. He took me from the misery of a life I led in Barcelona to this quiet Wizarding town, where I am accepted and welcomed by all. I do not wish to ruin his marriage, but I cannot stop myself from wanting him at my side. However if he told me tomorrow that he wished to never see me again..." Mireya cleared her throat, for it had closed with sudden tears. "If he told me that, I would abide by his wishes and disappear from his sight." Mireya looked at Severus now. "I love him greatly, and would do whatever he asked, whatever made him happy."

"You would accept being merely a mistress and your child a bastard in the eyes of the world?" Severus asked.

"My child will be born of love." Mireya said. "She will not be a bastard. Lucius has already promised she will have his name. I do not know how this will work out though. Or why he wishes for me to be in England, where there is a greater chance of exposure." Mireya pat her stomach then. "But I trust him. He must be doing what he believes is right."

"Yes." Severus said finally. "He does care for you. Love you I should say. Which is why he trusted me with his secret. He has told me how you met, and how you have been his mistress for a few years now. He told me all this, knowing I could hide those secrets well from our master." Severus caught her look and smirked once more. "I am a highly trained Occlumens. I have many secrets which I keep from my master."

"Will I be one of those secrets then?"

"If you wish to move to England then yes. I shall guard you from the Dark Lord's knowledge." Severus paused then. "Even if, by some chance, your existence does reach him, there is a man who will protect you. My other master, I guess you could call him. He is the wizard Albus Dumbeldore." Mireya's eyes went wide. "You've heard of him then?"

"One of my Professors was a student of his. He always spoke highly of Dumbledore." Mireya told Severus who smiled now.

"He has created an organization to battle the Dark Lord. The Order of the Phoenix. I am a member now as well." Severus's eyes grew cold with regret. "I have endangered the life of Lily Evans, a witch I care for deeply. A Muggleborn, like you. Once I learned the Dark Lord would hunt her down, I sought out Dumbledore. I offered him anything, in return for his promising to protect her." Severus shuddered, Mireya saw now what weighed him so heavily. "That is who I will take you to. Albus Dumbledore. I am set to meet him tomorrow evening, to report on the Dark Lord's plans. I will bring you with me. You can explain your affair with Lucius, and he will offer you protection."

"He will?" Mireya did not want to bargain her baby's life on an assumption.

"Yes. Dumbledore is a great wizard, with a love of life and a desire to help all those he can. You are not on the Dark Side, therefore you are either neutral or Light--"

Mireya didn't miss a beat. "I am Light, Severus. My child will be Light as well." Severus paused, then shook his head and laughed.

"Ah Lucius, you never cease to amaze me." Severus then returned his attention to the witch before him. "Am I to assume you wish for this? To move to England, to be under the protection of the Order?"

The young witch stared at the young wizard and smiled brightly. "I will trust your Order to protect me. I will move to England."

"You understand, that as a Muggleborn, you are in danger?"

"I understand."

"And you understand, that while under the Order's protection, Lucius's visits with you will be limited, maybe even nonexistent?"

"I understand that as well." Mireya then gasped. Severus blinked, wondering what was happening. She gasped then moaned, holding her stomach. With a slight jolt Severus realized what was happening. Her labor had begun.

"Oh no..." Mireya moaned. "You must wait. You must wait." She told the child in her womb. But the child did not hear. Another sharp pain shot through her body.

"Lucius!" Severus called as he rushed to her side and helped her lay back on the couch.

"Mireya!" Lucius cried out as Mireya relaxed. The pains had receeded for now. But there was no doubt. She would be giving birth in a matter of hours.

"How long have you been experiencing these pains?" Severus demanded. Mireya bit her lip as Lucius looked at her.

"I have felt cramps all day. But I did not think anything of it. I thought it was merely the child moving in an uncomfortable position." Mireya shuddered then. "What now? Must I wait?"

Lucius turned to Severus who was thinking. Finally Severus came out of his thoughts. "I will take her now then. To Dumbledore. It is best she have the child there, with the Order around her, than here where we are alone." Lucius nodded, tight lipped. "Gather some of her things. We will go tonight." Lucius paled but then breathed deeply. Mireya stared at him with surprisingly calm eyes.

"We will be apart for a while. But I will know when the child is born. Give her my name Mireya. I am not afraid or ashamed." Mireya felt a tear slip down her cheek. "Severus, you are certain Dumbledore will not refuse her?"

"No. He will welcome her and this child." Severus was sure of that. Dumbledore wasn't headmaster of Hogwarts for nothing. "But we must leave now! Before she goes along any further." Lucius nodded, bending down to give Mireya a deep kiss, savoring the taste, knowing she would be gone from his sight for an indefinite period." Mireya knew this as well, and it hurt her. Lucius left her for a few minutes then, as Severus looked around the room.

"Lucius bought this all for me." Mireya told him in a soft voice. "I didn't have a thing to call my own until I left school. Then the things I did have were either used or of poor quality. But I was happy to have my own life. To be free to live and not feel the shame of returning to an orphanage. My family disowned me. They believe magic is evil you see." Mireya smiled warmly now. "Lucius found me, working for a contact of his, as a secretary. I knew he was married, and yet it did not matter to me. For I knew it would not last... And yet here we are. Lucius has taken care of me. When I told him I was expecting, I was afraid he would leave. But he was happy and he promised to be there for the child." Mireya groaned as the pain returned. "Now I must leave him..."

"Here. It's some of Mireya's clothing, some of the things we've bought for the baby, and a few other possessions." Lucius said. Severus took the trunk and shrunk it to fit in his pocket. Then he turned to Mireya. "How are you going to get her there?" Lucius asked now, his worry and anticipation causing chaos in his mind. Severus looked at Mireya.

"Is the pain great?"

"Not right now." Mireya then seemed to catch on. "I am sure I can Apparate." Severus nodded. Lucius had picked a strong woman.

"Will it harm the child?" Lucius asked, staring at the belly that was moving now. Severus shook his head.

"No. Her labor has already begun, so there is no danger of a stress induced labor. Besides, I will take her Side-Along, meaning all she really has to do is hold onto me."

"Mireya?" Lucius asked now. Mireya nodded, and he helped her stand. She kissed him again, Severus turned away to give them their moment. "Take care of yourself." Lucius whispered.

"I will. I have my faith and my magic, your love, and our child. That is all I need." Lucius shook his head, kissing her one last time.

"Take her now Severus, before I regret my decision." Lucius said. Mireya clung tightly to Severus's arm. Severus nodded to his friend, then turned, pulling Mireya with him.

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Albus Dumbledore stared in surprise as Severus strolled into the Great Hall. Severus was supposed to meet him tomorrow. Something must have happened.

"Severus?" He asked as the man stood in front of his table, ignoring the looks from the students around him.

"I have someone who is in need of protection." Severus said. "A Muggleborn witch." He added, and Dumbledore lifted an eyebrow. "She's in labor." Severus added when after a few seconds the man did not move. The Headmaster's eyebrows rose and he stood up finally. "I have taken her to the hospital wing." Severus told him as the two moved out of the Great Hall and hurried up to the hospital wing where Madame Pomfrey was already tending to the young woman. Mireya groaned as another stab of pain hit her. She turned when she heard footsteps and smiled.

"I'm afraid she's rather impatient." Mireya told Severus who cocked an eyebrow.

"She?"

"Lucius says it will be a girl." Mireya replied, then gasped as a particularly strong wave hit her. Albus turned to Severus and his eyes demanded an explanation.

"Lucius Malfoy has been having an affair with this woman. She is having his child. But because she is Muggleborn, he knew the only way she would remain safe is in your Order's care." Severus explained succintly.

"If it too much trouble..." Mireya said now, relaxing onto the pillow Pomfrey had placed behind her. "If I must leave..."

"All who come here for aid will be given it." Albus said promptly. Mireya smiled.

"Ah... Profesor Garcia-Lopez was right." Mireya held a hand out. "You taught my Charms professor. He has always spoken highly of you..."

Albus took her hand. "Ernesto Garcia-Lopez?" Albus asked. Mireya nodded. "And what is your name child?"

"Mireya Soledad Diaz." Mireya said, scrunching her face against the pain. "I am twenty-three." Mireya stopped as a painful contraction hit her then and she bit her lip to keep from screaming aloud. Once it passed she lay back, panting slightly.

"Why are you not with your family?" Albus asked.

"They disowned me when we learned I was a witch." Mireya informed him. "They believe all magic is evil, a tool of the devil. So they threw me out. Thankfully my headmistress found out and helped me along. I lived in an orphanage when not in school." Mireya groaned and her hands formed fists. "It hurts." She spoke as if this was something she had not expected.

"Poppy will take care of you." Albus said. "And so shall I." He added. Mireya's face shone as she smiled at the headmaster. He beamed back and turned to Severus. "Kindly bring Minerva here Severus. And you may leave now if you wish. Mireya will be well taken care of."

Severus nodded and left. Mireya laid there in silence as Albus allowed her to squeeze his hand.

"So your child is a half-blood then?" Albus asked mildly. The young woman nodded, clenching his hand and biting her lip once more. "You would have been hunted down by the Death Eaters if they knew you existed."

"Yes... Lucius mentioned that..." Mireya huffed out. "Which is why... He did not even consider... Me living in England... But he said Severus... Could help... I want to be close... In case..." Mireya stared at him with her chocolate eyes. "Where will I go after she is born though?" Albus thought about that as another contraction hit. Minerva arrived then, looking from the girl to Albus and back.

"Minerva...this young woman is in need of the Order's protection." Albus said to her. "For the moment she shall remain here. Would you kindly pick out and fix up a room for her?"

As the witch thought about where they could put a young mother Mireya let out a scream. And then everything happened very fast indeed.

The world was a fog of pain, but she endured because she knew her baby was on her way. Any pain was worth that. She did as the voices around her instructed. She pushed and breathed and pushed some more. Then with a final cry she pushed with all her might and fell back on the pillows. She lay there, sweaty and aching and fighting for breath. For a moment there was silence. She feared that silence. But then a piercing wail echoed around the hospital wing and she relaxed.

Albus chuckled as the baby wailed and fussed while she was cleaned and checked over by the two witches. Then after a few minutes, Poppy turned back to Mireya and handed her the baby. "It is a girl." Said the nurse.

Mireya laughed, holding the bundle close to her. "A girl..." She smiled, pulling the child closer. "My little girl..."

"What will you call her?" Albus asked, smiling at the little bundle in the arms of the witch.

"...." Mireya thought for a few seconds, counting fingers and toes and looking at the little face. "Bella." She said suddenly.

"Bella." Albus repeated. "A fine name." He then added.

"Bella Luciana Malfoy." Mireya said, smiling at the quirked silver brow. "Lucius said, she shall have his name. So she shall." Mireya sighed. "But I will keep that my secret until it is safe." She promised herself. Albus nodded sagely.

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**Chapter One: Pureblood and Muggleborn**

_One Year Later..._

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Mireya stood outside in the pale grey of dawn and found herself laughing and weeping all at once. Over the year she'd done this many times. When she was escorted to her room in Hogwarts. When Bella's first tooth came out. When a member of the Order was murdered. When Bella spoke her first word. When she thought of Lucius. This day though, this day she laughed with relief. The shadow of Voldemort was gone. He was banished! But her tears were for the little boy with his tuft of black hair, his scarred little forehead, his lovely green eyes. Her tears were for Lily and James Potter, whom she'd befriended over the last year and few months. Her tears were for happiness and joy and the bittersweet taste it left in her mouth.

"You are safe now Bella." Mireya told her daughter, kissing her forehead and holding her close. The child babbled, blinking at Mireya who smiled back. "Your world is free of that monster Voldemort. You are safe to live happily." Mireya wiped her eyes, kissed Bella's cheek then headed back inside the castle. It was over. She was free to move on with her life as well. No more worrying about her life or her daughters. The Dark Lord was gone. She couldn't ask for anything more. The world was safe. Bella would grow up loved and free. She was glad.

"Mireya! There yeh are!" Hagrid called as he walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hagrid. Where have you been?" The young witch actually shook her finger at the giant. Hagrid sighed heavily.

"Ar..." Hagrid's black eyes were filled with tears. "Just been ter Little Whinging." Mireya blinked at that. "Had ter go take Harry to them Muggles. Professor Dumbledore says that'll be best for him."

Mireya weeped and nodded, cradling Bella close. The two stood their for a few minutes, both crying silently and watching the sunlight burn the grey away. Mireya sniffled as she turned away from the brightness. Bella was asleep and she should put her down to sleep. Hagrid kissed the little girl as well. "We'll see Harry again someday Hagrid. Dumbledore is right. He mustn't grow up with the weight of the world on his shoulders." Hagrid nodded and headed off to his cabin. Mireya headed to the castle. She'd place Bella in her bed and then she'd get some sleep herself.

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Lucius opened his eyes and felt something was different. Then he remembered what had occurred and he smiled. His smile became a grimace. And then he let himself flop back in bed, his eyes shut tightly against the world.

"Lucius?" Narcissa said, eyeing her husband with her blue eyes. Lucius opened his eyes and smiled weakly at her. She wrapped her arms around him. It had been a month since the Dark Lord was vanquished. Lucius had lied ot the Ministry and so he'd finally been allowed to come home. He did not care if others rotted away in Azkaban. He was safe to live with his wife and his son.

His son....

His child...

His _other_ child....

Lucius groaned, pulling away from Narcissa's arms. She sat up, watching him pace. It was unusual to see him like this. She was worried. "Lucius, what is it?"

"Do you remember my trips to Spain?" He asked. Narcisssa nodded. "It wasn't on the Dark Lord's orders that I went. Not most of the time." Narcissa's eyes widened. "I have lied to you Narcissa. But I cannot lie any longer." He sank down into the bed, his eyes shut tightly.

"I....thought as much." Lucius's head whipped up. Narcissa did not shriek, did not weep, did not try and curse him. "I sent Bella after you once." She admitted now. Lucius stared at her in astonishment. "She saw you enter the house. After you left she stayed and saw the witch. She asked around and learned of her name..." Narcissa glared now. "A Mudblood Lucius! A Mudblood! If the Dark Lord had found out--!" Lucius sighed heavily and nodded. "Why her?" Narcissa demanded.

"I cannot tell you why her, Narcissa. I often questioned that myself." Narcissa stared at him, tight-lipped, hurt. "I cannot tell you why she fascinated me. But she did. She does."

Narcissa sighed. "Do you wish to leave me?" She finally forced herself to ask.

"No!" Lucius was quick to assure her. "No, never. Malfoys do not divorce." Narcissa laughed at his reponse. Lucius was glad for that.

"Where is she now?" Narcissa asked. "I sent Bella to investigate a few weeks before the Dark Lord vanished. She was no longer there." Lucius sighed heavily.

"I asked Severus to take her someplace safe. He has since told me he took her to the Order, to Dumbledore. Mireya has been living in the castle since then." Narcissa nodded to herself. She called for the house-elves as she threw a silk robe over her.

"Lucius..." He looked at her. "You will go and visit the Crabbes." Lucius stared at her then realized what she meant.

"Narcissa..."

"Just do it Lucius." Narcissa had that look in her eyes. The same look she had before she duelled. Lucius was torn between going to Hogwarts right now and obeying his wife. His guilt won him over and he nodded, his head in his hands. Narcissa, satisfied, continued to get ready for her day.

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Mireya laughed as she tried to feed Bella some lunch. They'd both slept until half and hour ago. Now Bella was making a mess of herself. Severus sat next to her, a smirk playing around his lips. He stared at his goddaughter and shook his head.

"What do you think Sev?" Mireya asked as she wiped Bella's face clean again. "Is she a Gryffindor or a Slytherin?"

"Mine!" Bella said as Minerva waved the little Muggle bear in front of Bella's face.

"Definitely a Slytherin." Severus assured her. Mireya and he had grown to be close friends over the year. Mireya had thanked him endlessly after Bella's birth. Severus had tried to deter her gratitude but to no avail. Besides, she was easy to talk to, and that was something precious to the newly appointed Potions Master. "Have you thought over Dumbledore's offer?"

"Yes. And since it seems I will be here for a while longer, I think I'll accept." Mireya said it all with a smile but Severus knew enough to know the pain those words brought her. He couldn't believe Lucius had been free for weeks and not come for Mireya immediately.

"That is a wise choice." Severus told her. "You will make a great Healer." Mireya nodded. Dumbledore had offered to put her through Healer training, since she'd shown a knack for it under Poppy Pomfrey's tutelage.

"I hope so." Mireya then laughed. "I never would have thought I could be a Healer. In Barcelona, the Healer program was prejudiced against Muggleborns. Bloody bastards..." Mireya rolled her eyes. Severus chuckled at that. She had no problem letting everyone know what she thought about those who spouted pureblood elitism.

His chuckle died when he saw who Dumbledore was leading into the Great Hall. Mireya blinked then turned to look. "Narcissa..." Severus said. Mireya turned to look at Severus quickly and the young man placed a hand on her shoulder. Bella squealed then, and Severus saw all the Narcissa's eyes drawn to the sound. Mireya rose from her seat, picking up Bella and placing her on her hip.

"Mireya, you have guests." Dumbledore said. Mireya nodded, casting Severus a glance. He got up as well and followed Mireya to meet Narcissa and Draco, who watched them with those grey eyes. "Do you wish me to...?" Dumbledore asked. Mireya shook her head once.

"We will go to my rooms, if that's all right Headmaster." Dumbledore nodded, giving Severus a look. Severus inclined his head, following Mireya. Narcissa followed silently. Severus felt her eyes on them.

Mireya was quiet as she led the way to the third floor, into a hallway. She spoke softly to a statue which hopped to the side and revealed a hidden door. She walked inside, shutting the door only when everyone was in the sitting room area. She then walked forward, setting Bella in Severus's lap. Severus held her gently, pulling a stuffed snake and handing it to the girl. She gurgled and laughed.

"What are you doing here?" Severus asked Narcissa suddenly. Mireya blinked at him. He hadn't sounded this furious in all the time they'd known each other. Narcissa merely arched an eyebrow.

"I came to see my rival." Narcissa replied, her eyes scanning Mireya before going over to the little girl. The girl had her mother's hair. But her skin was pale, her eyes were grey, their was a delicacy there that her mother did not possess. She was a Malfoy, no doubt about it.

"Your rival...and Lucius's other child." Severus said, motioning to Bella. The girl was staring at the strangers and chewing on the snake.

"Mrs. Malfoy." Mireya spoke now. "What do you want?" She looked so sad and broken Severus felt his heart go out to her.

"To see you, and her. I also wish to speak to you." Mireya's eyes were the only thing to show her pain. She blinked back tears and took a deep breath.

"That is not necessary." Mireya had been working on this speech for a long time now. Ever since she had learned Lucius was married those short four years ago. "I won't disrupt your marriage. I won't ask anything of Lucius. I won't be a disturbance." Her eyes suddenly blazed as they locked onto the clear blue eyes of Narcissa Malfoy. "But I won't return to Spain. And Bella's surname will always be Malfoy."

Narcissa stared back at her, Draco in her arms. Mireya's eyes flickered from Draco to Bella and she sighed. Narcissa now studied the child who was waving her toy in her little fist. Yes, even with her different hair color and her mother's features, she was still clearly a Malfoy. Anyone who was familiar with the family could see that.

"I did not come to chase you away." Narcissa said finally. "I came to offer you another home." Mireya gasped, sinking into the armchair she had been holding onto.

"Another...home...?"

"One befitting of a Malfoy." Narcissa nodded. Mireya and Severus both looked at the pureblood witch in confusion. "Of course I am never leaving Lucius. We are happy. But I know Lucius. You must be quite special to capture his attention. He was a staunch believer of pureblood superiority. He still is mind you...but now he seems to think twice before saying something. He must think of you during those times." Narcissa rose and walked over to Mireya. "The child is not my target. I would not attack her. Nor you, knowing Lucius holds you dear to him. Which is why I offer you a new home, a place where you and Lucius may be together, where your daughter will grow up with all the same rights as Draco." Narcissa stuck her nose in the air. "Malfoy Manor is large enough to where we would never have to see each other, if you so wished."

"Your manor?" Mireya asked, staring up at the woman and her child. "You offer me your manor?"

"Yes." Narcissa smiled then. "A Malfoy is a Malfoy. Draco would enjoy a sibling. Lucius would have his children and be pleased. I serve my husband before myself Mireya." Mireya turned to Severus and Narcissa smirked. "Unless you two wish to remain together?"

Severus narrowed his eyes at Mrs. Malfoy. "Mireya and I are friends. She did me the honor of making me Bella's godfather." Narcissa arched an elegant eyebrow at Mireya who nodded, still stunned.

"I felt close to Severus. He was the one I trusted the most and so I asked that of him. He agreed to it." Narcissa nodded. It made sense to her.

"Well Mireya? Your answer?" Mireya looked around the sitting area she'd inhabited and then smiled.

"I will accept. I am grateful that you would be so kind to my Bella."

"Bella." Narcissa laughed. "I call my sister Bellatrix, Bella." Mireya blinked then smiled a little.

"I called her that, in honor of my great-grandmother." Mireya told her softly. "She was the only one of my family who did not disown me because of my magic. But she died a month before I began my studies." Narcissa looked at her then.

"You were disowned?"

"Yes. My family believes magic is evil. So therefore, I must be evil." Mireya explained. Narcissa scoffed, shaking her head.

"Muggles." She rolled her eyes.

"Mama!" The women turned and found Bella was now on the floor, sitting up and holding out her arms. "Mama!"

Mireya laughed and went to scoop her up. Bella cooed as her mother snuggled her. Mireya then looked from Draco to Bella. Narcissa looked as well. The two women set them down and let the children play on the floor. Severus let out a laugh.

"This little triangle is the most bizzare thing I have seen in all my years." He said. Mireya and Narcissa stared at each other. Mireya's eyes grew shiny with tears while Narcissa held a smug look of pride on her face.

Bella looked at Draco and then reached for his hair. He reached for hers and at the same moment the children pulled. Narcissa and Mireya blinked as the children tugged again. Then they began to laugh. Severus chuckled as well as Bella and Draco continued to tug on each other's hair.

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**_The chappy is el fini! Hehe! Please tune in next time! _**


	2. Stories

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo)_**

**_Hehe I'm glad so many people have put this on their alert so far. Please forgive me for taking a while, but I was a little stuck on Chap. 5 for World End. But now that I got that done, I can focus on this. I really enjoy messing with the Malfoys. It's just so much fun! So grab a snack or a drink and Please Enjoy!_**

**_As always Harry Potter and that universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. I merely enjoy messing with her lovely world. _**

**_--------------_**

**_Prelude_**

**_--------------_**

**_Chapter Two: Stories_**

**_--------------_**

Narcissa watched as Mireya walked around her little set of rooms and wondered how any woman could stand such close confinment. Then again she was used to large rooms, full of decadent trimmings, with shining ornaments and people dressed elegantly. Mireya was not. She was dressed as a Muggle, in jeans and a t-shirt that had bright splashes of color that mimicked paint. Her hair was messily tied up in a ponytail, her make-up was very light, only some liner and a bit of gloss on her lips. She looked common and plain and very Muggle. For a moment, Narcissa couldn't see how this Muggleborn had ever managed to woo Lucius Malfoy.

But then she turned towards the children, who were now tugging on Severus's robes, and she smiled tenderly. Her brown eyes lit up. Suddenly it was as if a spotlight were on her. Narcissa could see her beauty now. Her almond shaped eyes, the perfectly shaped eyebrows, the bits of stray hair that curled around her face. The way the shirt and jeans hugged her body, enhancing the shape. She was beautiful even when she wasn't adorned to the height of perfection. Mireya held that earthly beauty, the kind that could not be matched by anyone.

"The Manor is far grander than this." Narcissa said now, as she followed Mireya to what appeared to be the bedroom. Bella's crib was on one side of the room while the other held a simple four-poster bed with white lace curtains. Narcissa looked around and saw that although it appeared bare, the few things in the room worked well together. "I believe the east wing will suit you best." Mireya merely cocked an eyebrow and Narcissa recalled how condencending she could sound without trying. "It is a much more open space. You seem to have very little of it." Mireya looked around her room and smiled.

"I'm used to little space." She told her lover's wife. "I did say I was disowned didn't I?" Narcissa blinked. "I was sent to an orphange in the town where my Headmistress had lived. She held great sway over the Muggles there." Mireya paused, caught by surprise that she'd revealed that to Narcissa. She was half expecting a taunt about her upbringing now. Narcissa looked as surprised as she felt however, so she relaxed her tensed shoulders.

Narcissa looked around the room once more. She heard Severus's soft commanding voice which was followed by squeals of laughter coming from the other room. With a wave of her wand the door closed with a faint snap. Mireya cocked an eyebrow once more.

Mrs. Malfoy settled into a squashy armchair where Mireya no doubt sat to read bedtime stories to Bella. She straightened her robes then folded her hands in her lap. "I want to know your story." She told Mireya. "Everything, from the moment you discovered witchcraft to the moment you were brought to Hogwarts."

Mireya's eyes grew wide, her mouth a little 'o' of confusion. "Why?" She asked, shaking her head to clear it.

"Because if we are to share a home then we must know each other correct?" Narcissa waited for Mireya's nod. "I will tell you my story, if you tell me yours." Narcissa whispered then. Mireya cast her a look not unlike the ones Mrs. Zabini often gave Narcissa, when judging the lady Malfoy's words. But Mireya's held no bite to it, merely curiosity.

"All right." Mireya finally replied, sitting down on the edge of her bed. Narcissa was pleased when she crossed her ankles and placed her hands on her own lap, bowing her head a fraction of an inch. At least she had some grace. It would have to be refined if she was to put up with the hailstorm of criticism she'd no doubt face the moment she was found to be living in the Manor. "Where shall I start?"

Narcissa debated for a moment. "Your childhood." Narcissa decided. She desperately wanted to know how she met Lucius at all, but that could wait.

Mireya nodded once more before bowing her head, though not enough to shield her eyes form Narcissa's probing gaze.

"I was born in Seville, and spent my first four years there. My father was then transferred to a new company in Madrid. I lived there until shortly before my twelfth birthday. That was when I recieved my letter to _La Armonia, Colegio de Magia_." Mireya paused and went over to a small desk. She opened the tiny draw and pulled out a piece of parchment. She handed it to Narcissa who looked at it. It looked like the letter she'd recieved for Hogwarts except it was all in Spanish and the course books were much different. Under the name of the school was written _Directora Beatrice Jimena de Rosa Mancilla_. Narcissa studied it for a few moments longer before looking up at Mireya who was now facing out her window, her back to Narcissa.

"When I read that letter, my heart nearly burst with disbelief and wonder and joy. Magia, magic, that's what I had been doing all my life. I wasn't some alien like my elder siblings claimed, and I wasn't possessed by a demon like my mother feared. But then..." Mireya turned, her eyes held shadows of grief that Narcissa thought only enhanced that earthly beauty she possessed. "But then they read the letter, and they realized what I was, and they grew angry with me. My siblings grew frightened to the point where I had to shut myself in my room or face their taunts and the fear in their eyes. My great-grandmother Isabella, she came to my resuce after my mother called her, hysterical and nearly hoarse from all the screaming. Abuelita Bella, she took me from my home. There was more shouting, there was rage, then my mother shouted, 'Never come back, daughter of the devil!' And we were gone to Barcelona." Mireya shuddered, her arms around ehr tight as she remembered the screams.

"Abuelita bought me all my schools supplies, and set me up in her home. But before she could make any other changes or arrangements for me, she died. All my relatives knew by this time what I was, what I would be. They immediately took control of Abuelita's house, and cast me onto the street. Luckily for me, the day that happened, was the day I had to go to school. I took the train and didn't look back. I wondered however what would happen to me now."

"After we were welcomed and directed to our dormitory, la directora, she called me to her office. She told me she was informed of what had become of me after her letter arrived. She expressed shock and dismay that my family reacted in such a manner. Then she offered herself as my guardian, and promised I would be taken care of during the summers between school years. She promised I could come and see her whenever I wished, for whatever reason. I was very grateful." Mireya was smiling now, the shadows had left to be replaced by loving tears. "That was my life for seven years. I would spend the holidays at La Armonia with la Directora, I would go to the orphanage in her hometown during the summers, and I was treated fairly and kindly. Once I graduated Directora Beatrice said she'd help me find a job. I wanted to become a Healer, but they are very picky in Spain. So instead Beatrice set me up with a man she knew, Diego Castillo, the Head Auror of the Spanish Ministry."

"He was a decent man, although pureblood he treated me fairly and never made a fuss about having a Muggleborn as his secretary. I enjoyed working for him, and the stories I heard from the Aurors were fascinating." Mireya smiled at Narcissa with a sort of childish innocence that Narcissa realized could look appealing. "I learned as I worked, and the money, although nothing grand, was soon enough that I could live in a little apartment in Barcelona. I could buy things for myself, and go wherever I wished. I could meet more people and visit the friends I'd made in school. Many of them worked for the Ministry as I did so I never wanted for company." Mireya smiled warmly, her eyes full of a softness Narcissa would have called weakness if she were naive. "I had happiness."

The silence stretched between them as Mireya pulled a trunk from under her bed and began to wave her wand around, shrinking things and fitting them perfectly into the trunk. Narcissa watched her for a moment longer before asking, "And when did you and Lucius meet?"

Mireya smiled at the clothes that were shrinking and folding themselves. "Two years after I began, a bit after I turned nineteen. He came with a proposition for Senor Castillo." Mireya bit her lip then shook her head at herself and continued on. "I found him fascinating." She admitted, a bit pink in the face. "I hadn't seen a man like him in all my life. And at the time, I knew very little English, so he was a mystery to me. I was invited by Senor Castillo to join them for lunch that day." She giggled then. Again Narcissa saw it made her more charming. "I took the oppotunity because I wanted to keep studying the English man. We went to a pleasant restaurant. I almost left when we reached the doors though. I wasn't properly dressed, and I didn't have a lot of money, I was sure I wouldn't be able to pay for anything other than a drink." Mireya flushed brightly now.

"But it was Lucius who offered to buy us both lunch. So I relented, and we sat down. Senor Castillo and he mostly spoke in English. I caught a few words but I was too happy to be there to care that I was being left out. After all it wasn't an unfamiliar feeling either." Mireya paused in her packing to look at Narcissa with a quirky smile. "I was perfectly happy to be ignored Narcissa. I promise you that. I never tried to lure him into anything." Narcissa looked at her eyes, which she'd come to learn quickly was the best way to judge her true feelings. Honesty and earnestness were all she saw, so she nodded. Mireya breathed a little sigh of relief.

"But then something Senor Castillo must have said while I was too busy enjoying my meal, caused Lucius to turn to me and speak in Spanish. He asked me what had prompted me to join the Ministry at such a young age. I told him circumstance. He looked at me questioningly and I told him how I wished to be a Healer, but that our training program usually favored purebloods and half-bloods."

"_'You are Muggleborn?'_ He asked, and his eyes narrowed and I thought how fascinating it was to watch his eyes seemingly turn to steel as I answered, _'Yes, I am.'_ I did not flinch when he sneered at me. I just ducked my head and continued eating. Lucius returned to English and didn't speak to me for the rest of the day. I did my best to keep out of his way." Mireya laughed then, shaking her head. "He seemed unsatisfied however, to leave me with the last word. He came into my office on his way home that evening. _'Mudblood, what did you do to bewitch Castillo?'_ I was surprised by that accusation. I told him I did not know what he meant._ 'He is entirely against my proposition and he says it is because of you.'_ I stared at him in shock. Why would I bewitch the man who'd given me my only job?"

"I told him that and he sneered, and spouted some pureblood philosophy. I ignored it though, which seemed to anger him. He came and slammed a hand on my desk, demanding I tell him the truth. So I looked him right in the eye and said very clearly: _'Senor Malfoy, the truth is I have no idea what you are demanding I confess to. If you wish me to confess I come from Muggles, I will. If you wish me to confess I have spent endless hours debating with Senor Castillo about certain things, then I will. But I will not confess to bewitching him or some other such nonsense.'_ And Lucius stared at me as if I were an unruly house-elf before spitting out something in English and storming away."

Narcissa stared in surprise. She had not expected that to be honest with herself. She felt enough jealousy and dislike for Mireya that she'd just assumed Lucius had immediately fallen for her the moment he saw her. However it appeared that at least in the beginning, Lucius had maintained his superiority.

"And so a week passed without a sight of the English man." Mireya said, a twinkle in her eyes. "I got over it, and Castillo apologized for his behavior and promsied the next time he met with Lucius, he'd send me on an errand so I wouldn't have to put up with him. I told him that was all well and good. When Lucius did come back, Castillo sent me to gather the Auror's reports on their latest missions. Some were in other departments so it took a lot of time to track them all down. But still, by the time I got to my office, Lucius was there. We both paused in the corridor and then I tipped my head in the air and marched past him. I gave Castillo the reports, then went back to my office. Lucius was there, playing with the picture of me and my Abuelita, probably wondering why it didn't move."

"_It's a Muggle picture.'_ I told him, and was pleased to startle him even if it was only a little. He edged away from me as I settled into my chair. Then he demanded something I didn't expect." Mireya blinked at the wall. "He practically ordered me to join him for dinner. I refused. He cocked an eyebrow and I had to roll my eyes at him. "_Senor, you have disgusted me with your pureblood ways and insulted me by believing I bewitched my boss. How could you think I would accept?'_ He sat down on a chair and glared at me. Then he surprised me again. _'Tell me what you have told Castillo.' _I asked him why I should or ever would. _'Let's see if you can't change my mind about Mudbloods.'_ He challenged me. So I had to accept."

"We didn't go out to dinner. We sat in my office. He would ask me something, I would answer. We disagreed a lot. But I never wavered from my points and beliefs. Lucius only stopped when he realized it was nearly midnight. 'How is it you do not quell under such harsh words?' He asked. I merely tipped my head to the side and stared at him. _'Senor, I **am** the Head Auror's secretary.'_ I finally replied. It made him want to laugh, I could tell. His eyes turned like molten silver for just a moment before he whisked away as if offended."

Mireya paused yet again, her eyes thoughtful as she stared at Narcissa Malfoy who was surprised by this tale. Mireya's obvious unrelenting pride in herself was something she had not encountered in many years. If she'd not known beforehand, she would have sworn Mireya was a pureblood. She held many of the qualities exalted by purebloods of England. "What happened then?"

"It was a month before I saw him again." Mireya continued as if she had never paused. "He came right into my office then. He sat down and leaned towards me and told me I should tell Castillo to accept his offer. I told him it was useless. Castillo might value my opinion and insights, but the ultimate decision was his. Lucius scoffed, ranted in English for a while then settled back into the chair. _'Tell me about yourself.'_ Lucius said then. I was sure I misheard him." Mireya now stared at the pitcure of her Abuelita Isabella, her eyes sparkling with pleasure. "I didn't know what to say so I told him about myself. He would interrupt at times. When I told him how I was disowned he snorted and ranted in English. When he settled he looked me in the eye. _'Will you come to dinner with me now?' _I looked at his eyes. They were that molten silver again. I felt very much at ease with Lucius. So I said yes."

"And that is how it began." Narcissa stated, her blue eyes sharp with amusement and disbelief.

"And that is how it began." Mireya agreed. "I went to dinner, then we had a lunch a week later. The following month I invited him to my apartment and cooked him dinner. That was the first time he spent the night." Mireya sighed. "It was about seven months afterwards that he admitted he was married. I felt a little used to be truthful, but when I was with Lucius, I was happier than I could ever remember being. Once he got to know me better, he was much kinder, and gentle, a fierce man full of both darkness and light. I was drawn to him. I couldn't pull away. I told myself I should, for the sake of his mystery wife who knew nothing of his escapades." Mireya looked at Narcissa calmly, her eyes showing nothing but warmth. "I couldn't pull away." She repeated.

"I wasn't too worried though. I was sure he'd tire of the novelty of me soon enough. The idea sent pain throughout me but I did not let it show. I would simply enjoy my time with him, and when the inevitable end came, I promised myself he wouldn't see me broken." Mireya bowed her head then, so that her dark hair hid her expression. "I thought about it a lot more than I let on. Sometimes when we were in bed, I'd listen to him murmur and speak, in a mix of English and Spanish, and smile, thinking I might lose this soon so I should soak it up. I thrived under the attentions he gave me. I feel that that first year, I grew into my womanhood. I wasn't just a teenage secretary, I was a woman and he was a man who cared for me. That first year I never allowed myself to say the word love. I wouldn't even think it."

Narcissa barely contained the gasp that bubbled up in her when Mireya finally raised her head. Her eyes held a mixture of pain and joy, and the shadows of loss were in them as well. It was such a powerful thing, to see these emotions, to nearly feel them herself, that Narcissa had to clench her hands in her lap to maintain control. She was starting to see why Mireya had held Lucius's attention for so long now.

"Before I knew it, it was May again, and the anniversary of our very first meeting. I reminded him with a smile. He did not smile back." Mireya gulped then, as the memory of the fear that had gripped her that day worked through her chest. "I felt like this was the moment I had been dreading. He would tell me in harsh words that he was finished with me, that I was nothing, that he never wanted to see me again." Mireya laughed a little, her hand on her chest. "I remember staring at the ground, and shuffling my feet like a child. I remember breathing deeply, preparing the words I'd need. I was ready to say goodbye to him, even as my heart broke."

"But then Lucius had me in his embrace, and was speaking rapidly. Something about Barcelona not being safe anymore, about it being his fault. How he was sorry he hadn't done anything to prevent Voldemort's takeover--" Mireya paused when she saw Narcissa flinch at the name. She remembered then, that Narcissa had had to deal with the Dark Lord on occasions. "Sorry. I just never could muster up the fear of his name that many others had by that point."

"It is alright. It will just take some getting used to." Narcissa assured the younger woman. Mireya laughed then. "So what did you do? When you realized he was not leaving you?" Narcissa insisted, wanting to know as many details as possible.

"I looked up at him, and asked why he wasn't saying he was leaving me. Lucius pulled away from me, asking if that was what I wanted. I denied it loudly, grabbing his arm and holding it tightly. I explained about how I worried he had tired of me, that I would not blame him if he had, that if he felt bad for keeping me a secret from you that I would not fault him for that either. He stared at me as if I'd sprouted wings or something." Mireya laughed, a soft pleasant laugh. "It felt so good when he said he had never thought of leaving me once. He did feel guilt, when he returned to you and you were so attentive and loving. He got a bit angry with me and asked me what he'd done to make me believe he was simply using me. Then he laughed, called me a silly witch, and kissed me."

"It was that moment that I realized he cared for me at least half as much as I cared for him. Because he called me a silly witch, not a Muggleborn, or Mudblood, just a witch." Mireya stared at Narcissa, her eyes open and filled with emotions Narcissa wouldn't have dared show in front of a rival.

"Was that when he moved you to that wizarding village?" Narcissa asked. Mireya nodded and did not question how she'd known about that. Narcissa was glad she didn't ask.

"He told me to find a place I liked first. He gave me a list of places he felt would be safe. The village I chose was nestled in a remote area of Spain, and was full of wizards. We went there and I fell in love with this quaint little cottage. It's very beautiful in it's own way. Lucius laughed at me when I worried over the price. For him it was like spending a Sickle. For me it was like emptying all my savings. He didn't let me return to work however, saying Castillo had been Imperioused by Voldemort. He gave me a little allowance, and ordered me not to leave the village without him. That was where I was until last year. Lucius felt it would be better to remove me from Spain. He asked me to move to England. I agreed only when I was certain Dumbledore's Order would give me and Bella suitable protection.... And the rest you know by now." Mireya concluded.

The two women were silent for a long time. Mireya bustled out into the sitting area and returned levitating several trinkets and other things. Severus helped her as Narcissa silently took over the watching of the children. She studied Bella with a critical eye, as if she were an unknown child. Bella held many Malfoy qualities in her physical appearance. It would be hard for anyone to ignore her resemblance to Draco and Lucius. As Narcissa watched the girl struggle to rise to her feet, she wondered what she would have done if Lucius had kept this child a secret? If, years from now, they'd been walking in Diagon Alley and happened upon her? What would she have done, she asked herself, if she'd seen that pale skin and those bright gray eyes and found out then?

She daintily shuddered. Banishing the thoughts from her mind, she returned to studying the girl. Bella. Although not a very original name, it had it's own honorable charm. It certainly fit with the prestige of their names. Bella meant beautiful, and Malfoys were always beautiful. Those traits, mixed with her Spanish mother's genes, and Narcissa was sure that even though she was halfblood, the purebloods of her society would be clamoring for a claim on the girl before she even came of age.

Of course there was no doubt in the woman's mind that Bella would marry a pureblood. Lucius would not have it any other way. Mireya would in time come to see the benefits of such an arrangement. She certainly loved Lucius enough to take into account his wishes.

Mireya came into the room then, with the trunk levitating behind her. Severus cast Narcissa a heavy stare, one that conveyed his wrath should anything befall the Muggleborn. Narcissa of course, merely arched her eyebrow before picking Draco up.

"I'm ready." Mireya said, picking up Bella who giggled. "Severus, can you explain to Poppy why I won't be attending tonight's lesson?" Severus nodded and Mireya gave him a smile that made the Potions Master try not to appear smug. He had her friendship, which was a salve that helped him deal with the loathing of having gotten Lily killed.

Narcissa nodded then led the way downstairs. Albus met them in the entrance hall. The Great Hall was empty now, with students off in their lessons.

"Are you leaving us Mireya?" Albus asked, a smile on his face.

"Narcissa has offered me a place in Malfoy Manor." She said sweetly to the old wizard who looked on her like a fond grandfather. "I would like to be able to come and visit however, if that is possible."

"Of course. All are welcome at Hogwarts." Albus's words settled in Mireya's mind like a sweet glaze and she went forward to hug the tall old man who hugged back. "We would miss Bella's little face if you never came for a visit." Albus added, handing the girl some Bertie Bott's beans. Bella gobbled them up and then kissed his cheek which made Albus chuckle. "I am still willing to get you into the Healer program Mireya." He added causing Mireya's heart to soar.

"Oh Professor, thank you so much. I really, really want to." She gushed, hugging him again. "Perhaps we can discuss it when I come visit?"

"Of course. Be safe Mireya." She nodded and Narcissa once more led the way in silence.

Mireya paused as they reached the gates, and looked back over her shoulder. _What am I getting myself into? _She wondered as she followed the pureblood witch into Hogsmeade where they sudden Apparated.

--------------------------------

Lucius returned home at seven, just as dinner would be served. He handed his cloak to Dobby then went in search of Narcissa. He felt like a fool, mostly for allowing Narcissa to go and antagonize Mireya. He had been consumed by guilt this morning but now he was in a towering rage. Guilty or not, Narcissa had no right to harrass Mireya. How could he have been so low as to allow that? Was he not Lord Malfoy of one of the purest and most powerful bloodlines? Was he simply going to cower--?

A pair of laughs caught his attention as he headed to the smaller sitting room beside the enormous library. Lucius swept over to it and opened the door without a word.

Sitting there on an armchair was Mireya, who was fussing with a little girl who was trying to escape the towel on her head. Narcissa lay on a settee, her long blonde hair shimmering in the light of the crystal chandelier above, with Draco at her side. For a minute all Lucius could do was stare from one woman to the other. Mireya looked so out of place among the grand things in her Muggle clothes and her messy ponytail. Lucius felt a deep longing rouse him then, though he hurriedly squashed it as his eyes drank in the twenty-four year old.

As if sensing his deep gaze she lifted her head, and her breath caught in that way that made Lucius want to crush her to him. Her cheeks tinged pink, her mouth parted, her eyes shined with delight and slight apprehension, her arms wrapped around the little girl in her lap.

The towel fell to the floor in the silence that followed. Lucius didn't notice it though. What he noticed was a little girl, who had his eyes and his skin and her mother's cheekbones and hair. She was adorable and beautiful and this had to be his little girl. They one he knew he was getting the moment Mireya stated she was pregnant. He walked forward and took her out of her mother's protective arms, to hold her in his own, to study her.

Bella stared back at him curiously, her eyes filled with innoncence.

"Lucius." He lifted his eyes away from his daughter to Mireya, who stood up now, her hands behind her back. Lucius cupped her face with one hand, staring at her with that same hungry look as before. Her words dried up in the concentration of that gaze.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his eyes flickering to Narcissa. Mireya tried to speak, but his eyes had not lost their hunger and her body was rejoicing in his touch. Narcissa noted all this and smiled indulgently to herself. She had done the right thing.

"I brought her here." Lucius's head whipped to her and that hungry gaze was now levelled on her but Narcissa had more practice in speaking in spite of it than Mireya. _She will learn. _Narcissa promised as she rose from her settee and held Draco on her hip. Lucius's hand went to his hair, ruffling it in a dignified way before it returned to Mireya's face. Mireya was looking as if she were dreaming and never wanted to awaken.

"You brought her?"

"Yes Lucius." Narcissa stood beside Mireya now. Lucius couldn't help the smile that spread his lips as Mireya held Bella now. His children, his wife and his lover, all were standing before him, within reach and in reality. "I had a choice. Make her an enemy or allow you to keep us both. I have no problems with this arrangement. Draco will love having a sibling who can accompany him to school once they turn eleven. You can have both your heirs and once people begin learning of Mireya, we can effectively protect her from retaliations." Narcissa sounded so matter-of-fact that Mireya had to blink at her. Narcissa gave her a smirk and Mireya smiled back kindly. Lucius was sure he was seeing a dream so he reached out to grasp both women.

"I'll be living in the east wing, Narcissa said I would like it best." Mireya told him softly, her words still weighed down by Lucius's eyes. "It's very beautiful and open and..." Mireya shrugged and Lucius kissed her then, making her turn deep red and look down at the floor. Narcissa cocked an eyebrow at her husband who pulled them both to him. Draco and Bella cooed and gurgled as they played with their mothers' hair.

"Mireya is a very simple creature, full of silly yet insistent insecurities." Lucius explained to his wife who smiled then.

"I am not insecure." Mireya grumbled and poked his side, making Narcissa blink and Lucius laugh.

"I did not say that." Lucius replied, pulling back finally to find her eyes were sparkling with amusement and annoyance, a feeling she'd expressed regularly around him.

Mireya huffed and went back to sit on the armchair as if it were a throne. Bella squealed and reached for Draco who stuck his tongue out at her. Bella blinked then copied her older brother.

Lucius watched them stick their tongues out again, and tipped his head back, laughing deeply. Narcissa saw the genuine happiness and nodded once more to herself. Yes, this was the best choice. Her husband was happy, her son had a sister, and she had someone whom with time, she was sure to trust as a sister.

---------------------------------------------

Mireya cocked her head to the side. She was contemplating what colors to put in the large living area, which opened up to the eastern gardens where Lucius's pure white peacocks strutted. The wood and white scheme didn't work for her well. She would keep the luxurious carpet the same however. It was a pretty dusty golden color that she liked well.

"Mireya?" Narcissa swept into the airy room, smiling and nodding at the difference Mireya had already created by removing the large obstructive pieces of furniture, replacing them with lighter, much simpler ones. The walls were being magically changed now, turning a pale blue with glit edging along the ceiling and molding on the bottom. The ceiling became a much softer cream color. Narcissa watched the transformation with a keen eye and approved. It was simple and quaint, but Mireya had a way of making simple and quaint into grand and splendid.

"Did you need anything Narcissa?" Mireya asked, feeling quiet comfortable with the woman after a month of living together in the Manor. There were some tense moments, especially the first few days when Lucius had spent most of his time with Mireya. There were bound to be more tense moments in the future no doubt. But they were on their way to being friends.

Narcissa sat down on a comfortable high-backed chair, her hands on the arms in what Mireya was learning to recognize as her news pose. She sat down, waving her wand as she did and changing the curtains from thick, heavy crimson to light golden silk. Once more Narcissa nodded, her eyes on the other woman once more. "Lucius wants to introduce Bella to our society. He feels the sooner she is exposed, the sooner we can begin to deal with those who would wish to deny her the rights befitting a Malfoy."

Mireya shut her eyes in thought, her face merely meditating. She had known the moment Lucius had welcomed her home, that Bella would be treated as Draco was. Which meant she would be known to the pureblood circle the Malfoys were prominent in. After all it wasn't like Bella could be hidden for very long. She'd be two in August, and when she turned eleven she'd be off to Hogwarts with Draco. No hiding her then. Best to get it over with now.

"Will it be a very big gathering?"

"He wants only a small dinner with our more intimate acquaintances. The Parkinsons, the Zabinis, the Notts, the Crabbes, the Goyles." Mireya was a little pale but she nodded all the same.

"Mrs. Parkinson and Mrs. Zabini are the ones who will spread the word quickest." Mireya stated it simply, knowing from how Narcissa spoke of them that both loved any gossip they could pass along.

"Correct." Narcissa replied, pleased that Mireya paid such attention.

Mireya just nodded at the silent praise the pureblood witch gave her in that single word. She worried her bottom lip as she thought of Bella, and how she would be treated. Thankfully she was still young enough that words had no clear meaning and thus no real pain. _But I would feel the pain for her if they said hurtful things to my Bella. _

Narcissa, as if sensing Mireya's thoughts, tossed her head and huffed. "Lucius will not tolerate any who dares insult his little Bella." Mireya smiled then, laughing a little at Narcissa's pose and the truth of her words.

Lucius proved to be a doting father. Draco and Bella were hardly ever out of his reach. Even now Lucius had them on the south lawn, where they must be playing with the the Crup and Kneazle Lucius had bought for his children. Lucius was very happy with his two children under his roof, Mireya knew that. She also knew people who insulted either of his children would be punished in a most severe manner. Still....being in the company of pureblood wizards was a disturbing thought.

"We've also invited Severus who would probably blast away the first person to insult his precious goddaughter." Mireya grinned then in a very self-satisfied way. It was true, Severus should extreme caring for both Bella and Draco. He had visited many times in the last month.

"True. Severus has such a temper." Mireya laughed then settled back in her seat. "Narcissa?" The witch looked up at the other and arched an eyebrow. "Will you tell me your story?"

Narcissa blinked. She had forgotten she had promised Mireya that. It had been a very crazy month though, so she told herself she could be excused for forgetting.

"I suppose." Narcissa made herself more comfortable. After insuring Mireya was settled, she took a deep breath and began.

"I come from a respected bloodline, the Blacks. My mother was Druella, my father Cygnus. I have two older sisters; Bellatrix and--" Narcissa paused, looking at Mireya with a critical eye. The witch was sitting with her knees hugged to her chest, her chin on her knees, her brown eyes alert and curious.

"What is it?" Mireya asked when the silence had stretched a bit too long.

"I was merely thinking." Narcissa replied. She was thinking of her sister, Andromeda, who married a Muggleborn named Tonks and was thus disowned. She looked at Mireya, thinking of their situation, thinking of how Lucius had fallen for her, and thinking it was not unlike her older sister falling for Tonks. "You see, Bellatrix married Rodolphus Lestrange, a pureblood, so she was thought of as the good daughter. Andromeda, the middle one, she married a Muggleborn, Ted Tonks." Narcissa stopped, seeing the wry twisting of Mireya's lips.

"Ah I get it. You're comparing your sister and her Muggleborn to me and Lucius."

Narcissa nodded, bowing her head a bit in acknowledgement. Mireya chuckled and shook her head.

"Perhaps I'll invite her." Narcissa thought aloud suddenly, surprising Mireya.

"What?" Mireya half-laughed, thinking she'd heard her wrong.

"Well as you said, I compare her and her husband to you and Lucius." Narcissa frowned pensively. "Perhaps it would help you with being more comfortable around purebloods as well. Andromeda has a little girl, Nymphadora, who is a half-blood like Bella as well. She is eight nearly nine years old if I remember correctly. " Mireya smiled then. Narcissa was willing to do this, all to help Bella and her. It amazed her to be honest.

"Yes, I will write to Andromeda later." Narcissa said mostly to herself before eyeing Mireya with a smile. "Now then, to continue my story." Mireya settled back into her listening pose. "Bellatrix is the oldest, followed by Andromeda, and then myself. We all grew up in a beautiful home. Much like the Manor of course. We were all in Slytherin, which I thought meant something of course. Those days of my youth were easy. I grew up listening to Mother and Father praise all things pureblood. Of course I met Lucius many times, as our families were both very old and very respected. We knew even as young children that we wanted to be married someday. We suited each other well, and over the years affection grew into love. We married shortly after I finished my seventh year."

"Then Lucius became a Death Eater." Narcissa paused, trying to reconcille the new revelations provided by Mireya with her old notions. "I was proud of him. I never wished to be Marked by the Dark Lord myself, and Lucius forbade me in a roundabout way." Narcissa smirked and Mireya replied with a smirk of her own. They knew Lucius's way of forbidding things. They were two very strong-willed women after all. He had to be careful with his phrasing. "I was happy with my life Mireya. I grew up knowing love and pride, and I hold those close to me now. Draco and Lucius are everything to me. I would do anything to protect them, keep them safe and happy."

"Is that why you felt it would be best to simply bring me here?" Mireya asked.

"Yes. Lucius would have chosen me eventually." Narcissa narrowed her eyes, as if daring Mireya to argue. Mireya did not. Lucius was honorable, he would have chosen Narcissa if Narcissa had demanded it. "But there was the matter of the child. A Malfoy child. I knew Lucius desired heirs long before I married him. We spoke of it often. I wanted children of my own as well." Narcissa sighed and shook her head. "Getting pregnant was difficult. When I finally had Draco I worried constantly over him until the day he was born. I still worry about him." Narcissa smiled at the thought of her beautiful son.

"For Bella?" Mireya asked, surprised yet again. "You did this all for Bella?"

"For Lucius and for Bella." Narcissa replied. "I am not so cruel as to fault a child for her birth. Just as I am not so cruel as to force Lucius to live a half-life, which he would have done if you and your child were taken out of the picture." Narcissa smiled, her eyes showing her amusement and surprise. "If you had asked me five years ago if I thought I would find myself part of a triangle, I would have cursed you." Narcissa then laughed. "Then again five years ago I would have cursed you merely out of principle."

Mireya sat quietly for a long time, her eyes shut and her lips in a faint smile. Narcissa allowed her own thoughts to wander until Mireya spoke.

"I am glad Narcissa. That you are kind...when you wish to be." Mireya amended with a chuckle. "And I hope to hear more details of your story someday."

"Someday." Narcissa promised, getting up from her seat. "Now to attend to the letter for Andromeda. Hopefully if I explain about you, she will accept." Narcissa left before Mireya could offer the woman any sort of encouragement. Still, Mireya rose and spoke to the pale blue walls.

"Your sister will be glad you've accepted new ideas, even if you haven't lost the old ones." Mireya grinned at the portrait of her great-grandmother and herself, which she had magically enhanced and placed between two large windows. "I'm very happy abuelita." She said to the portrait as she touched it before moving down the hall to the small library. Dark paneled wood was not her style at all.

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**_There! Chap. 2 is finished! ^^ Gomen for taking a bit to update it. I promise to try to be speedier. I like writing for the Malfoys. They can't always be villains now can they? ^^ _**


	3. Finding Home At Last

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo)_**

**_Thank you, thank you. I like where this is going so far. I have a vauge outline (le gasp I have an outline!) about where this will go. But of course, you'll just have to wait and see. I'm happy at the responses I've gotten to the story so far. I thank those who review. It's not necessary, because I just love to write that much, but it's always nice to hear how much you like it. Thank you for keeping up with the story and I hope I continue to deliver the goods. Hehe! _**

**_Everything I haven't made up belongs to J.K. Rowling as always. _**

**_--------------_**

**_Prelude_**

**_--------------_**

**_Chapter Three: Finding Home At Last_**

**_--------------_**

Mireya smoothed a hand over her elegant white gown with silver trimmings. Her hair was combed elegantly, so that her bangs all hung to the side, half covering her left eye. A simple sapphire and silver necklace hung around her neck. She was dressed very simply compared to Narcissa's blood red gown with the golden necklace and various bracelets on her arms. Her hair was done as elegantly as Mireya's, in a high knot however. Both women looked beautiful to Lucius though. Each in their own way. He saw it quite clearly now. Mireya had the earthly beauty that Narcissa had spotted and commented on many times. Narcissa had the ethereal beauty, the kind that came from high breeding. The two women did not notice his eyes on them for the moment. They turned away from the mirrors to check on their children.

Draco was pouting and grimacing as he fussed in his robes. Bella was doing much the same, tugging on the ribbon that held her hair away from her face. The children weren't used to being dressed up like this. Bella especially. She was used to being dressed in a diaper and a muggle baby shirt. Bella, like her mother, was not used to being bound by Wizard clothing.

"Stubborn and willful, the both of them." Lucius said, by way of announcing his arrival to the room. Narcissa and Mireya looked up and smiled, holding Draco and Bella in their arms. "Just like their mothers."

Mireya giggled. "Yes well, they had to have something of us no?"

"They have plenty of you in them. It scares me." He laughed as the women smiled. "Come, everyone is here."

"Everyone?" Narcissa asked, turning a little pale.

"Yes. Andromeda looks ready to curse Mrs. Parkinson however, so if you could please hurry...?" Lucius gave them each an arm and Mireya took the left with some apprehension. Narcissa was smiling once more though. Lucius noticed the tension however and kissed her cheek. "It will be alright. Severus is eager to hold his little goddaughter." Lucius frowned on those last words and Mireya laughed as he led them into the large recieving room. Narcissa's eyes sought out the head of light brown hair and kind brown eyes. And there they were. Andromeda sat tall and proud, as did her husband Ted Tonks, on who's lap sat nine year old Nymphadora. Narcissa blinked when the little girl's hair suddenly turned bright pink.

"Narcissa." Andromeda was the first to spot them. All other heads turned in the direction of the doorway. Lucius led them further into the room and made sure both were seated comfortably before taking a seat himself. Mireya bowed her head a little, so that her bangs hid her eyes.

"Andromeda." Narcissa replied, drinking in the sight of her elder sister. Bellatrix was gone, imprisoned in Azkaban along with Sirius Black. All other members of Narcissa's Black family were gone. Narcissa had not realized the hole in her heart until this very moment.

"Narcissa, what on earth?" Violet Parkinson asked as she stared from one sister to the other then to the young Spanish woman.

"We have a very important announcement Violet." Narcissa said, turning from her sister for the moment to eye Mireya. She did not slouch or flinch from the gazes on her but kept her eyes on Bella who was playing with her necklace. "This young woman here is Mireya Diaz. She will be living with us from now on."

"Oh?" Calista Zabini said now, her eyes disecting Mireya who finally lifted her head. Mireya's brown eyes held challenge in them when they met Calista own blue eyes. She was not going to be intimidated by purebloods like her. "And why is she living with you?" Calista asked, like Narcissa knew she would. Narcissa turned to Lucius who tipped his head subtly in her direction.

"Because the child in her arms is my daughter." Lucius said simply as Dobby began passing out wine. Dobby hid a grin as Mr. Crabbe spluttered, Mr. Goyle gaped, Mr. Nott stared with round eyes, and Mr. Parkinson choked. Ted Tonks took one look and laughed. Mireya turned to him then, laughing as well.

"I've never seen purebloods do that before." Ted said making Mireya giggle more.

"I've never been in a room with so many." She told the Muggleborn man who grinned.

"You're halfblood?" Ted said although from the way she'd said that, he didn't think so.

Mireya shook her head. "Muggleborn."

Gasps from the purebloods were heard yet Mireya didn't take her eyes off Ted Tonks. Ted held her steady gaze with his own soft brown eyes. His fair blonde hair fell into his face and he whipped his hair back, in much the same way Mireya did when there wasn't any strangers around.

"Well welcome to the club." Ted said, laughing once more. Mireya relaxed, her tension melting away as Severus finally appeared and took a seat next to her.

"What club?" Severus asked as he lifted Bella from Mireya's lap and eyed Tonks.

"The club that only Muggleborns belong to of course." Mireya said in a mocking imitation of Narcissa's loftiest tone. Narcissa laughed then, winking at Mireya. Andromeda watched all this with a budding smile.

"Have you told them Bella is Lucius's child?" Severus asked, eyeing his long-time friend with a glare that promised death if he had chickened out.

"Lucius mentioned it yes." Mireya said, laughing brightly for the first time at the look on Severus's face.

The purebloods were still in utter shock and so remained silent. Andromeda leaned forward then, to shake Mireya's hand.

"I never expected Narcissa to allow a Muggleborn into her home." Andromeda smiled at her sister who tentatively smiled back. "What changed your mind little sister?"

"Mireya captured Lucius's attention." Narcissa said, nodding to her husband. "If she was capable of that, then she is a worthy rival."

"A rival?" Andromeda asked, her eyes narrowing, which made Mireya smile. Severus chuckled as he bounced Bella on his leg. Bella giggled herself.

"Yes. We are rivals, are we not Mireya?" Narcissa asked, sipping her wine and running a hand through Draco's hair.

"Oh yes. Rivals of a terrible sort." Mireya replied airily, studying Nymphadora who was now turning her nose into a mouse's. "How on earth is she doing that?" She asked Andromeda who suddenly beamed with pride.

"Imma Meta-- Metamori-- Metamorphy-- Bloody hell!" Nymphadora chirped suddenly making Mireya grin at her. A Metamorphmagus then? Cool.

"Ted!" Andromeda's tone was scolding as she eyed her husband evilly. Ted Tonks just spread his arms innocently. Nymphadora giggled as Mireya winked at her.

"Now Dora what have I said about repeating what Daddy says?" Ted said then.

"Not to do it." The girl then got a cheeky grin as she twitched her nose and suddenly her face matched her father's as she wagged a finger at Bella. "_Now missy, don't go repeatin' them bad words or your mother will kill me_."

Mireya laughed along with the Tonks' and Malfoys. Severus even chuckled while the purebloods continued to remain quiet and hold their own children close to them.

"I'm afraid I cannot stay here." Calista Zabini said. Mireya suddenly looked up at her and smiled smugly, one eyebrow arching.

"Very well, I shall just take your seat them." Narcissa had to smirk at the bold words. It was like Mireya was telling Zabini she wasn't that important. Calista growled and sat back down in her chair, clutching Blaise close to her. Mireya smirked, getting up from her seat to take one closer to Andromeda and Ted. Severus smiled as Mireya began an easy conversation with them while Narcissa and Lucius spoke to the purebloods and tried to ease them into accepting this. Severus just looked at Bella who was now happily tugging on his hair.

"You and your mother cause quite a stir you know?" He murmured to his goddaughter. The girl just smiled up at him, standing on his lap and tugging at his soft black hair. The Potions Master shook his head, wincing as that pulled some strands free from his skull.

The evening wore on easily enough, as dinner was served and continued their conversations. Narcissa was telling the ladies how Draco had learned a new word the other day. Lucius was discussing Fudge's plans for rebuilding some of the sites detroyed by Voldemort. Ted and Mireya were discussing Mireya's upcoming Healer training. Albus had not wanted her talent to go to waste, and Mireya did not want to waste the opportunity. Severus happily held both Draco and Bella in his lap now. He'd grown accostumed to this, since Draco was very attached to his sister and could only stand being separated from her for short amounts of time.

Andromeda, who was telling Nymphadora to finish her peas or she wouldn't get dessert, spoke to him suddenly. They sat side by side, across from Ted and Mireya at the end of the table.

"Mr. Snape." Andromeda looked up at him and then down at the two little ones in his lap. "You care for Mireya?" She asked.

"Not in the way many precieve." Severus replied, taking the fork out of Draco's hand before he hurt himself. "I am the one who took Mireya to the safety of Dumbledore's order, per Lucius's request. But over the year since, I became close to her. She is a good friend. A sister." Andromeda nodded and lapsed into silence. Severus thought that was the end of it but then she spoke once more.

"I would suggest..." Andromeda made sure no one was paying them special attention before speaking quickly under her breath. "I would suggest talking her out of this foolish idea. I like her, she is a good influence for my sister. But I do not trust Lucius Malfoy at all. I quite honestly despise him. I have my reasons but now is not the time." Andromeda stared at him with hard eyes. "Tell her to ask for a house in London, tell her it only makes sense, now that she'll be a Healer. Tell her whatever you must. Get her away."

Severus regarded the woman with heavy black eyes that judged her calmly. "I will try." Severus finally said and Andromeda relaxed, laughing as Nymphadora's hair became the bright fiery red of anger.

What Severus really wanted to know, was why Andromeda Tonks was so worried about Mireya. What were her reasons for despising Malfoy aside from his stance on blood purity? He would have to investigate further. For now however....

"Bella! Don't bite on Draco's hand!"

-----------------------------------

Mireya fell exhausted into her bed. The dinner party had been so awkward. She was glad Narcissa had invited Andromeda and Ted. They seemed like the kinds of people Mireya could be friends with. Plus Nymphadora was darling. No doubt Bella would enjoy having a friend like her as she got older.

A knock at the door let her know Severus was there. He was staying the night, in one of the guest rooms of the east wing Mireya had recently changed. "Come in."

Severus entered then, shutting the door and settling into a comfortably worn couch directly opposite from the huge bed. He steepled his fingers and stared at her broodingly over them. Mireya cocked her head to the side, wondering what he could be wishing to discuss.

"Andromeda Tonks made an odd request of me tonight." Severus had debated for an hour about how to approach this. He had finally decided the truth would suffice. Mireya loved Lucius, but she was not foolishly blinded by that emotion.

"Oh? How odd?" Mireya asked, grinning at the thoughts in her head. Severus sent her a slightly alarmed look which made her laugh.

"She asked me to get you to move out of the Manor." Mireya paused on her way to the closet. She half turned to regard Severus oddly.

"Why?"

"I do not know...yet. I intend to find out." Severus lowered his hands finally to cast spells. No one was eavesdropping. And the pictures in Mireya's room were all Muggle, non-moving. "She stated she had reasons to despise him."

"Many have reason to despise him." Mireya sighed thoughtfully. "But..." Severus knew what she was thinking even if she did not say it out loud. Mireya was thinking about the obviously loving relationship between the Tonks's. Andromeda and Ted adored each other. That must mean Andromeda would take action on behalf of a Muggleborn if she felt that Muggleborn were threatened.

"Yes. But." Severus smiled then to ease her worries for a moment.

"So what did she suggest to get me to leave the Manor?" Mireya asked, grinning in appreciation of Severus's smile.

"She told me to tell you to ask for a house in London. I can see why. It makes sense. Your Healer training begins in a few weeks time. You will most likely have long, definitely erratic hours once you begin in earnest. No one would be suspicious of it at all. Well except the pureblood gossips but I doubt you give a damn about them." Mireya's lips turned up in a wry grin.

Things were quiet as Mireya disappeared into the closet to change into a nightgown. Once she reappeared she looked a little lost. "What is it?" Severus asked, staring at his friend with worry in his black eyes.

Mireya looked around her room then shook her head. "It just doesn't surprise me." Mireya murmured. "It doesn't surprise me in the least that someone has seen some evil in Lucius I have not." She glared at the floor now. "To be honest, I am glad someone has come along to remind me of reality. I do love Lucius, never doubt that. However..." Mireya sighed, falling onto her bed with a frustrated huff.

"However...?"

Mireya stared at her enchanted ceiling, watching the field full of flowers swish in a silent breeze.

"You turned on Voldemort." Mireya said. "You became Albus's spy and vice versa for _her_. You truly regret breaking her trust and losing her affection. You wish you could turn back time and change those events." Severus nodded, knowing where this was going.

To be honest, from the moment Lucius handed Mireya to him, Severus had been trying to chip away at Mireya's love for him. To show her it was merely an intense affection and seemingly endless gratitude instead of love. He knew love. Love was what he'd felt for Lily since they were children. Mireya deserved real love.

"You did something for your love." Mireya said now, her eyes hurting her as she shut them tight. "Lucius did something for me yes, but he still served Voldemort with unyielding loyalty. He continued to torture Muggles and Muggleborns, he still thinks in terms of Mudbloods and Purebloods and all that idiocy..." Severus would have smirked but that would make Mireya suspicious. It seems his subtle words had more of an impact than he'd thought.

"Severus... Please find out Mrs. Tonks's reasons for despising Lucius."

"I will Mireya." He promised his friend, patting her shoulder and then leaving, seeing that she had a lot of thoughts on her mind.

-------------------------------

Andromeda opened the door to find Severus Snape on her doorstep. She smiled as she held the door open wide, motioning for Severus to come in. Severus walked into the house and saw it was a plesant mix of Muggle things with Magic things all put in a nice aesthetic way that pleased the eyes.

_If Mireya had a home of her own it would be like this. _Severus was sure of that. So far Mireya was still too foreign to the Manor to make more than a few changes. He knew for a fact though that she missed having a telephone and a television and various junk foods...

"I have come to find out your reasons for wishing Mireya be moved from Malfoy Manor." Severus said, his eyes showing nothing. Andromeda nodded, sitting down. Severus did the same.

"Well--" Andromeda waited until Nymphadora had run past them then turned to Severus with a grave face. "What did Miss Diaz say?" Andromeda asked first.

"I told her what you requested of me." Andromeda looked scandalized. "She asked me for your reasons before she made a choice." Severus slowly blinked. "Our goals coincide with each other Mrs. Tonks. I have been doing my best to subtly pull apart the supposed 'love' Mireya has for Lucius. She was cast out by her own family when they discovered she was a witch. The only one who did not leave her, her great-grandmother, died shortly before her education began. She spent her seven years in an orphange, with little to call her own and few friends. Alone and rallied against by the Spanish purebloods..." Severus met Andromeda's eyes then. "You can see why I wanted to pick apart her feelings for Lucius."

"As well you should." Andromeda said. "I bet the girl doesn't understand she probably is imagining half of what she claims."

"Oh she does. Mireya is a brilliant witch." Severus replied. "She just denies what her heart and mind have already concluded. She wants a life for Bella and a place she can call her own."

"I see." Andromeda sipped the tea she'd made while they spoke, and watched Severus as he added a touch of honey to his. "You saw the weakness of her love?" She asked.

"Yes." Severus recalled the year before the Dark Lord fell and smirked. "She does not realize it, but she hardly cried for Lucius at all. She did have her days when she would sink in depression, but they were few and far between. Some could say she was distracted. By her new surroundings, by her place in the Order, by the friends she made and the fact she lived in Hogwarts." Severus waved his hand, batting those excuses away. "I want Mireya to find love. Not this affection she feels for Lucius. For noticing her, proving the fact she was not as worthless as she was said to be, making her feel cherished. Lucius's feelings I cannot vouch for, but Mireya's I can. Lucius is her first love, so therefore how is she to know of love at all?"

Andromeda studied the man in front of her, her brown eyes shrewd. Finally she set her teacup down.

"You care greatly for her. And you speak as if you know of love."

"I do." He said in answer to both her statements. Andromeda nodded.

"Very well then. I will tell you my reasons." She pursed her lips then and her brown eyes grew darker with the hatred she felt for Lucius.

"I have it, on good authority, that Lucius went to Spain, not to tempt that Head Auror they killed--what was his name, Castillo?--but that he went there to spy for the Dark Lord." Andromeda bit her lip. Severus was intrigued. He was the Dark Lord's most talented spy. Why was he not told of this mission?

"How do you know this?"

Andromeda sighed and went to a desk to pull letters from a drawer. She handed them to Severus and let him read them.

All of them were from Narcissa. Severus looked up in wonder. "I thought--"

"That Narcissa detested the mere thought of me?" Andromeda smiled, and it was the same smile Narcissa gave him on occasions. "No. Of course she had to pretend, lest the family disown her as well. Bella would have tortured her no doubt." Andromeda's eyes narrowed at the thought of Bellatrix. "But no, Narcissa and I are quite fond of each other in reality."

"So what was it Lucius was sent to spy on?" Andromeda bowed her head, pulling another letter from the stack. Severus read it, and with each sentence his face grew sallower and his eyes colder. "Lucius was sent to spy on Castillo's secretary." He said in a monotone. "On Mireya."

"Yes."

"_Why_?"

Andromeda walked over to another table, picking up another piece of parchment. Severus recognized the handwritng on it at once. It was from Dumbledore. The date was August 10th, four days after Bella was born. "I did some work for the order." Andromeda revealed in a hush. "I wasn't actually a memeber...I had Nymphadora to worry for... But I made contact with Dumbledore several times. He would ask little things of me." Andromeda sighed heavily. "When he sent me that letter though..."

Severus read the letter at once. Dumbledore asked Andromeda too go through the Spanish records for all information on Mireya Soledad Diaz, twenty-three years old, born in Seville.

"I did as he asked, it wasn't easy but by pretending I was a relative of hers, I got enough information on her." Andromeda bowed her head. "I was sad to find out that she had been cast out of her family for embracing her magic. Did you know her family was rather wealthy? Not rich exactly but well off enough. Her possibilities could have been endless if they'd been kinder." Severus nodded, his eyes returning to one part in particular of the letter.

_Andromeda, I ask that you especially focus on her years in the wizarding world. Please get me records of everything that pertains to her life in the magical world. _

"What is this about?" He asked, pointing to the last paragraph. Andromeda stared at it for a few seconds before expelling a heavy sigh.

"I did as he asked." She said. "And I found out something that...well..." Andromeda motioned for him to follow her into a den where there were stacks of papers and files and books. She picked up one of the files, riffling through the pages to find what she wanted. A Muggle picture it seemed.

Severus took it and stared. He couldn't help it. There stood Mireya, looking about sixteen years old, and beside her stood a man with black hair and dark brown eyes. The man had an arm around her shoulders, and a look of complete content on his face. Mireya was caught by the camera with her face half-way turned to him. As if he'd asked a question just before the camera flashed and she'd been eager to answer him.

"I do not know this person." Severus admitted.

Andromeda nodded. "I don't know either. Dumbledore asked me to find out more about him. I managed only to find out he was a private tutor that the Headmistress of La Armonia would hire for her more talented students." Severus grimaced.

"May I take this?" Andromeda nodded. Severus took a moment to stare at the picture once more then stuffed it away in his robes, returning his attention to Andromeda.

"You see Severus," Andromeda said now, "this man is the reason Lucius was sent to spy on Mireya.... He was supposed to woo her over to the Dark Side." Severus's eyes widened. "Yes, You-Know-Who wanted Mireya as a Death Eater."

It was insane! Madness! Why would the Dark Lord want a Muggleborn? Especially a Light witch like Mireya, who rejected those who misused their magical power for evil.

"How did you find all this out?"

"Narcissa of course. She told me, I told Dumbledore. It was You-Know-Who's idea to have Mireya brought to England." Andromeda's eyes were dark and cold, her fury apparent in her face. "You taking her to the Order was not in the plans however." Her lips turned upwards in a vicious smirk. "It was just what was needed to start eroding away the ties Lucius was creating between them. Narcissa knew all this, thanks to Lucius's boasting and pretending she suspected him of something and using Bellatrix to spy for her. Narcissa has changed her mentality ever since Draco was born. She knew the Dark Lord gaining a powerful witch like Mireya could produce repercussions Draco may feel as he got older."

Severus felt his head spinning at this rapid turn of events. He'd figured Andromeda's reasons for getting Mireya away from Malfoy manner was simply to protect her from the purebloods. But now he was learning of this twisted plot. The question remained. Why did the Dark Lord want Mireya?

"Dumbledore and Narcissa both begged me to go to that dinner. I have a gift of my own. I can see magical bonds, bindings. I can also destroy them so easily." Andromeda's eyes flashed. "I hate anyone who uses Muggleborns." She glared at the wall for a moment. "Lucius has been using magical bonds to tie her to him. But I picked most of them apart. I doubt he's noticed, the prat." Andromeda put her head in her hands. "I worry about Narcissa and Draco when Lucius finds out though. He will think Narcissa did it somehow. Lucius is a true Death Eater. He revels in the Dark Arts. He wants to make himself a king." Andromeda looked up at Severus. "I've told Narcissa to leave him as well but she just shook her head and told me, 'Malfoys don't divorce'." Andromeda sneered those last words.

Severus leaned back in his chair, grateful for the little Metamorphmagus when she entered, her face that of a cat. Andromeda laughed, the tension leaving her. Severus had to think and think hard.

"I will help however I can." Andromeda said softly, once Nymphadora was persuaded to go grab a Chocolate Frog.

The young professor rose to his feet and nodded. "I will speak to Mireya--and Narcissa--when Lucius is not present."

Andromeda simled at him gratefully.

---------------------------------

Narcissa watched Lucius get ready to go schmooze some Ministry workeers--as Mireya put it. Schmooze was such a common coarse word, for one of such noble blood at least. Mireya had no problems proving her Muggle-ness at times. Lately it seemed she got irritable whenever Lucius tried to correct it.

Which of course meant, Andromeda had succeeded in obliterating the bonds Lucius had used to shackle the other woman. Now Mireya was truly free, and Narcissa was seeing her in a new light. The same light that Lucius must have seen her in before he began his wicked scheme.

Mireya still held that earthly beauty, but there was raw power, and a thirst to prove herself as something better. She poured herself into her Healer studies. When she came home she doted on Bella and Draco. She shared quiet moments with Narcissa, as if they were sisters. Lucius felt left out but Narcissa couldn't bring herself to care for that. Her main focus was Draco. Her son would not be exposed to such dangers again in his lifetime, if she could help it.

"I will be back around dinner." Lucius said, kissing them both and smirking as Mireya and Narcissa both smile in return. He turned to Draco and Bella, who were playing with their toys on the living room floor. Then he left with a flourish of his robes.

Narcissa waited until she felt him pass the wards on their home before whirling around to find Mireya at the fireplace. "Severus, Lucius is gone." The flames turned emerald and Severus walked into the room as Narcissa began cancelling the eavesdropping spells she knew Lucius had put in place. The bastard.

Severus greeted both his godchildren--Narcissa had told him she'd made him Draco's official godfather a few days ago--then turned to the two women staring at him.

"I have been gathering information." Severus told them, smiling as Draco walked unsteadily towards him, Bella following him like a puppy. "First of all." He pulled the picture out of his robes. "Who is this Mireya?" Mireya took the picture, a look of warmth flashing onto her face.

"Profesor Tomas." Mireya looked up at Severus. "My headmistress had him teach me more advanced lessons to prepare me for the Healer's program in Barcelona. Before we realized I would never get in because of my blood." Mireya stared fondly at the man. "He had complete faith in me you know. He was also my first crush. Profesor was so kind and patient. He told me I had great powers that would make others envious of me if they knew the full extent." Mireya blushed and giggled like a schoolgirl, which oddly enough suited her personality.

Severus fell into a chair, both babies in his lap. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this Mireya." Severus said now, his eyes narrowed to slits. "But your professor...was the Dark Lord in disguise."

Mireya and Narcissa both blanched, eyeing Severus with round eyes. Severus looked from the brown to the blue then down to the silvery gray of his godchildren.

"What?" Mireya asked.

"Yes. He was the Dark Lord. Unbeknownst to many of us, even his most Inner circle, he could transform himself into a version of his more human self. This is what he would have looked like, if he'd not transformed himself by Dark means." Mireya felt ill. She swayed but Narcissa held her up, helping her to a chair. Mireya shuddered and convulsed for a moment.

"But... But he couldn't have been..." Mireya's accent thickened with her distress. "He... I would have felt it... I'm sure!"

"The Dark Lord was cunning. No one fault's you for not noticing." Severus said quickly. Mireya nodded but her eyes held the gleam of tears.

She knew Severus wouldn't lie about such a thing but... It was still a hard hit to take.

"He studied you for those last years of your education then left, correct?"

"Yes. He said he had been offered a position in the states. He promised to write to me. He did often, until about a few months before I met Lucius. He told me he was endeavoring in a special mission of a sort and would not be able to write to me for some time." Mireya gasped, her brown eyes sparking with that deep intelligence. "Oh."

"The Dark Lord wanted you for something Mireya. I do not know what. But he did. He ordered Lucius to win you over to our side. You proved a too strong for Lucius's charms however." Severus smirked. "So the Dark Lord ordered him to change his tactics and keep you close." Mireya was looking as if someone had told her Bella was deathly ill. "I am not sure how much of this was an act, and how much was the truth. All I know is, whatever the Dark Lord was planning, he was getting ready to put that plan into motion. He needed you here in England." Severus paused then voiced his thoughts. "I think he meant to come to you again, in guise of your professor. Lucius trusted me to take you to one of my safe houses no doubt. He must have gotten a severe punishment from the Dark Lord for allowing you to fall into the Order's hands." Severus turned to Narcissa for confirmation.

"Yes. About a week after that. He came home with many lacerations and he told me he'd been under the Cruciatus for several minutes." Narcissa gulped although she showed no outward sign of having done so. Flawless as any Greek statue, Severus thought with a grin.

"But what did Voldemort need from me?" Mireya asked suddenly, scooping Bella into her arms and holding her tightly, trying without success to stop imagining what would have become of her little child if she'd fallen into Voldemort's hands. "And why did Lucius let you take me to the Order and Dumbledore if he knew what would happen?"

"No doubt he was trying to preserve his cover. If he'd protested, you and I would have been suspicious." Severus mused aloud. Narcissa lifted Draco who'd begun to fuss. The boy immediately tugged on Bella's hair the moment they were within reach of each other. Bella whined and hit his hand away with a sharp, "No!" Draco just laughed. "As to what the Dark Lord needed of you... I do not know. Yet."

Mireya sighed heavily, shaking her head and pulling Bella close. "Oh my darling girl." She held Bella tight. The girl did not make a fuss but simply laid her head on her mother's chest, her gray eyes shutting with a yawn. Draco pouted but then turned to his mother for attention.

Silence rested within the room for a few minutes, each adult lost in their own thoughts. Slowly, painfully, Mireya forced herself to admit the words she'd wish weren't true.

_I do not love Lucius. _

There was a sharp tug on her heart, and distantly Mireya was sure she heard something scream, but then she relaxed. She felt lighter. Her eyes clear with determination she turned to Severus.

"I want to live in London. Can you help me find a good home there?"

"Of course." Severus turned to Narcissa. "What about you?"

Narcissa looked down at Draco then looked up with sharp blue eyes. "I will move to one of the Black homes left to me in my inheritence. I was wise to not give Lucius rights to them, I see now. I have my son to think about. Lucius had injured me too many times. Draco will not grow up in his shadow, poisoned by his disgrace or his malice." Narcissa pet Draco's platinum hair and smiled sweetly at her child. "Perhaps you would join me Mireya?" Narcissa said.

Mireya blinked at her in surprise. "You would want me to?"

"Of course. Are we not friends?" Mireya blinked a few more times and Narcissa smiled ruefully. "You thought I had only constructed an act as well?"

"Well...yes." Mireya admitted.

Narcissa laughed and shook her head. "We have been used by the same man Mireya, and our children are related by blood. It would not be wise for us or them to be separated now." Mireya smiled then.

"Well if you're sure you can live with a Mudblood..."

"I can live with a witch who is my equal." Narcissa replaied haughtily making Mireya laugh. She held Bella close.

"I would leave now. Take only some clothes and other things." Severus then turned to Narcissa. "I would suggest you demand divorce."

Narcissa was about to open her mouth and say Malfoys do not divorce, but then she realized she was only Malfoy in name.

"Perhaps I will."

----------------------------

Lucius returned late that night to find Severus sitting in his chair. His children and the women were nowhere in sight.

"Severus. What brings you here?" Lucius asked, throwing his cloak at a house-elf.

Severus sipped his wine and ran a hand through his hair. "I came to speak with you. About Mireya."

Lucius sat down opposite the man. He cocked an eyebrow and waited patiently for Severus's questions.

Severus swirled his wine in his glass, his dark eyes remote, cold, harsh, while his face portrayed nothing but bored indifference. "I came to ask what made her so significant to the Dark Lord, that he had you weave her in a net of magic and false emotions."

Lucius grew wide-eyed and his mouth sagged open. Not that he noticed. All he noticed was that Severus's eyes held a murderous gleam. "What are you talking about?"

"Come now Lucius. The Dark Lord is gone. So are Mireya and Narcissa by the way." Severus chuckled. "I have been made their Secret-Keeper so you shall not be able to find them anytime soon." Lucius's pale face grew red with outrage. severus smiled at that, and the irony that he was now a Secret-Keeper, protecting a people who were dear to him when he could not protect Lily.

"Tell me Snape." Lucius nearly growled. But after years of serving the Dark Lord, Severus found only Albus intimidating. Lucius was nothing.

"No." He stood up, dusting himself off. "Since it seems I am unlikely to get anything of you, then I shall take my leave." Severus started walking to the door. Lucius drew his wand and sent a curse at him. Severus evaded it and sent a curse of his own, that passed just over Lucius's head. The two man began to duel. Twisting, turning, pausing to check their situation before flinging more spells and curses, trying to land hits and injuries.

Severus caught Lucius's eyes and at once stormed into his head, forcing his way past Lucius's weak barriers. Lucius cried out at the intrusion and Severus hurried outside, dashing past the wards as more spells rained down on him.

As he turned to Apparate he had a brief glimpse of Lucius's face. His eyes were ringed with red, his lips set in a snarl as his handsome features became waxy and distorted.

It seemed the Dark Lord had been teaching Lucius a trick or two.

---------------------------------

Mireya looked around the pretty home. It was large of course, with five floors, a basment large enough to fit the two floors of her Spanish cottage side by side, and a mix of high stone walls and ancient magic that had reactivated the moment Narcissa passed the wrought gold gates. It was an extravagant home, hidden by enchanments and thick woods. It was only about a fifteen minute walk from Hogsmeade. That made it the most ideal home. It's proximity to Dumbledore. Naricssa knew what she was doing. She had cast her lot with Mireya. She was no better than Andromeda or any other 'blood traitor'. But she was happy with her decision.

Besides that didn't mean she had changed any of her family ideals. Mudbloods would always be Mudbloods in her mind, unless, like Mireya, they proved themselves otherwise. She would take over the task of teaching Draco all the things he would have learned if still with Lucius. And Bella too. She would be a proud little witch soon enough.

"I like it here." Mireya finally said, her eyes bright with a childish joy. Narcissa nodded.

"It was Mother's favorite home when I was attending Hogwarts. That way she could be close by. I would visit her every time there was a Hogsmeade outing." Narcissa stretched herself out on the couch. They were in the second floor's sitting room. Mireya was helping the house-elves clean up the place. Narcissa sent her a look telling her not to but Mireya brushed it aside.

"I can't help wondering what Ms. Zabini and the other purebloods will say when they hear about this." Mireya said now. Narcissa smirked.

"It will be amusing no doubt. I am not worried." Narcissa tossed her head wildly. "I may not hold sway with the purists any longer, but there are more purebloods out in the world you know. Few but more." Mireya smiled.

"So do you not consider yourself a purist anymore?"

Narcissa laughed and Mireya noticed it was much more open than any other she'd heard from the woman before. "How can I be a purist, if I am sharing and ancient home of Black with a Muggleborn and her half-blood child?" Narcissa asked. Mireya laughed as well.

"Oh I'm sure if anyone could manage it, it would be you." Mireya teased.

Narcissa looked down at the thick carpet, seeing Draco stretched out on a blanket with Bella beside him on her side.

"I will teach Draco to be proud of his blood and heritage." Narcissa said softly. "I will raise him as a proud pureblood, do not doubt that. He will learn to wear masks when needed to. He will learn to speak elegantly, and walk proudly. He will be wealthy and he will always be shown deference by others, and demand it." Narcissa then smiled. "And so shall Bella. I want her to grow up just as proud as her brother. I want her to be treated as she would be if Lucius were with her. Halfblood or not, I want her to feel as if she were pureblood. I will teach them how to move in the upper circles, to smile falsely when they wish to grimace, to deflect insults, to trade words with the most talented of silver tongues." Narcissa looked Mireya dead in the eyes then. "What will you teach them Mireya?"

Mireya thought for a moment, sitting on a large golden pouf. "I will teach them how to be truthful." Mireya finally said. "To dance in the rain. To play in dirt. To sneak treats and run around chasing their pets. I want them to know humility, to recognize when someone is stronger than them, accept it, but not yield to it. I want them to understand that it's all right to be proud of their blood, but that their personalities are what truly matter. I want them to feel free to laugh no matter who's watching. And to rage when they wish to. I want to teach them acceptance of their faults and others as well. I will show them how to be the exact opposite of what you'll teach them." Mireya smiled.

"Well, we are the exact opposites of each other in most ways." Narcissa agreed. "Beezle, Natty, start dinner." Narcissa said to two of the six elves they'd brought with them. The two bowed low then disapperated into the kitchen below.

Mireya lapsed into silence as the other four elves finished dusting and fixing up this room. They moved on to another after bowing to their mistresses.

Bella woke up and yawned, her cute face scrunching up. She then allowed herself to flop over onto Draco who grunted and awoke as well. Narcissa and Mireya watched them proudly, quietly, just enjoying the peace of the moment. Finally, as Bella began hitting Draco with her stuffed teddy bear, the woman decided to pick them up and head downstairs. Dinner would be ready soon.

It felt odd yes, to know they'd walked out on one of the most politically powerful purebloods, but they would survive. There was power here, and strength, and friendship. Mireya would get over the pain in her heart, Narcissa would divorce her husband, and they'd raise their children well. Teaching them about both worlds. Their children were the most important things to consider here.

Mireya felt very dirty and used though. She wasn't sure she'd ever feel like she could love or trust any man aside from those she already knew. Yes, she would take time to lick her wounds but once she was done she'd prove to Lucius and to all of them, that Muggleborn or not, she was stronger than any of them. Strong enough to overcome anything.

Within these ancient stone walls, Mireya felt she could finally find a place to call home. It had been empty for years, and it was not the beautiful little cottage she'd grown to love. But soon enough she'd fill it with memories.

And she was looking forward to that.

_**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**__**Prelude End  
**_**_--------------_**

**_And that my friends is the way this chappy ends. ^^ I had to make Lucius evil. I at least had to make one of them bad didn't I? And besides, I was rereading Order of the Phoenix last night--namely the battle at the Ministry part--and so my anger has manifested itself. Lucius is evil. Plain and simple. But anyways! Hope you liked it! Next chapter will be the beginning of Part One and it will start with Draco's birthday. Sayonara! _**


	4. First Impressions

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo)_**

**_--------------_**

**_Part One_**

**_--------------_**

**_Chapter Four: First Impressions_**

_Ten Years Later...._

**_--------------_**

Draco woke up on his birthday with a grin on his face. He jumped out of bed and hurried down the hall to his sister's bedroom at the other end of the hall. He was usually the first one up. Bella was a bit slow in the mornings.

He ran, not caring that his mother often reminded him running was undignified. It was his floor--his and Bella's--so no one could tell him what to do here.

He reached the double doors at the other end of the hall and grinned. Without a sound he opened the doors and stood for a moment in the doorway. The room he'd opened was light and airy. It reminded him of spring with its pastel green walls and the golden hangings, as well as the silvery curtains around the enormous four-poster bed. The dusty gold carpet felt warm beneath his feet. The ceiling was a replica of a summer sky and clouds floated along. He knew at night it would twinkle with stars and a crecent moon. But none of that interested him right now. He dove onto the bed, shaking awake the little figure lying there.

"Bella! Wake up! It's my birthday!" Draco demanded. Bella blinked and rose from her covers, rubbing her eyes and yawning delicately. Draco beamed as she stared at him.

"Huh?" Bella asked, her mind still deep in the dream of flying over an ocean of golden light.

"Wake up! It's my birthday!" Draco repeated, dragging her out of her sheets and out the door. Bella yawned again, but allowed her two-months older brother to lead her wherever he wished. It took the girl a few minutes in the mornings to get up. Draco laughed as she murmured sleepily about the dream she had. Something about golden light and green eyes and lightning. He ignored it though. Today was his birthday which meant it was all about him today. He expected lots of presents and plenty of adoration from his family. Bella needed to be awake for this. He was only eleven once!

Draco pushed her into the bathroom then hurried down the stairs, stopping when he reached the second floor, which is where Narcissa and Mireya slept. He went into the sitting room and smirked. There they were, lounging on settees a deep burgundy. His mother and Aunt Mireya looked up and smiled at him.

"Happy Birthday Draco." They chimed together. Draco beamed at them, his silvery eyes shining happily.

Bella threw her arms around him from behind, catching him off guard and making him fall over. The two laughed as they wrestled a little before giving up and going to their mothers. Bella curled up next to Mireya with a yawn while Draco sat on the carpet next to his mother's seat. She played with his hair.

Mornings were always like this. They'd wash up and meet in the second floor sitting room. Somehow, no matter how early Draco and Bella managed to get up, their mother's were already there, lounging on the couches and settees, wearing elegant sleeping clothes. They looked like they were queens and acted like it too. Their mothers were proud of themselves and powerful on their own. Together they were a force to reckon with.

Someone who reckoned with them on a regular basis was their father Lucius Malfoy. They hadn't seen much of him during their short lives. They didn't even know the whole story as to why they weren't allowed to be with him. But what they did know they had gotten from Severus, their godfather, who happily filled their needs for a father-figure. He was in Black Manor almost everyday. Draco and Bella loved watching him work on his potions. He had even begun to teach them about the ones they'd work on in Hogwarts, once they got their letters. He was looking forward to teaching them almost as much as they were.

Aside from their quirky daddy issues, life was good for them. Draco enjoyed having two mothers in his life. Whenever he wanted to talk to his mother, but didn't know how she'd react, he could always go to Mireya, and Bella could go to Narcissa when she was worried about something she didn't want Mireya to know about.

They'd learned so much from their mothers too. Mireya taught them how to be kids. How to run around and jump in puddles and throw tantrums, be kids and not worry about appearances so much. Narcissa had taught them how to be good and proper, proud and aloof in society. Which was important. They might bear the name Malfoy but they were in an odd spot. Although Narcissa had major support from pureblood families all over Europe, the ones in England mostly sided with Lucius, which meant they had a lot of opposition. Bella especially. People couldn't pass up poking at the half-blood daughter of Lucius Malfoy's unmarried mistress. Mireya however, had vast support of her own from the rest of the English Wizarding world. She was a top Healer, and as well-respected as Narcissa by her own peers. She'd be taking over as the head of St. Mungo's in a few years time, according to some.

Combined, it leant the Black-Diaz family a certain mystique that Draco especially bathed in. He was a proper pureblood, who snubbed those who were not as rich or prominent as he. He was rude and snobbish to most of the world. The only exceptions he felt he needed to make were for his family. They were the only ones he would give the time of day to. Everyone else was mud to him. Narcissa approved of his attitude. Mireya let him think as he wished. She would only gently remind him of his manners if he started getting out of hand.

Bella was proud as well, but in the way her mother was proud. Still with all the years of growing up in the same home and enviornment as Draco, she could be a frigid little ice princess when she wanted to. Mireya approved of that as well. Because she did not want her daughter falling into the same traps and deceit she had fallen into all those years ago.

"Mistresses!" Draco blinked out of his thoughts as Beezle, the head elf in their household, spoke to his mother. "Your guests are here. Mrs. and Mr. Tonks and their daughter Nymphadora await you in the Solarium." Beezle bowed again and then snapped out of sight. Narcissa shared a surprised laugh with Mireya as they rose to their feet.

"It seems we let ourselves space off too long." Mireya said, pulling Bella to her feet. "Come darling, you and Draco dear go and get dressed. We'll meet you in the Solarium for breakfast."

The children nodded and hurried upstairs to dress.

------

Draco was not disappointed as he entered the Solarium later. On a couch was a pile of presents about an inch taller than him. At the long table sat his Aunt Andromeda and Uncle Tonks, cousin Nymphadora who demanded to be called either Dora or Tonks, and Severus. His mother and Mireya were there as well.

"Happy birthday Draco!" They greeted him once they spotted him. Draco smirked and went over to hug his relatives, laughing as Dora pecked him on the cheek with a pig's snout. "Dora!" He grumbled anyways, earning a wink and a laugh. Tonks was loads of fun, Draco also liked the fact he could boast at having a Metamorphmagus in the family. She had entertained them a lot as children by turning into various animals and changing her hair colors for them. Draco sometimes got dizzy whenever she did it too fast though.

Draco looked behind him as he sat down at the head of the table, only relaxing once Bella was in the room. He patted the seat on his right which she took. The adults all laughed at this, but Draco knew they did not find it stupid. Draco sometimes thought of himself as a king, which meant he thought of Bella as a princess. She was his greatest confidant and best friend. He would not be the same boy without his sister. Half-blood or not.

The birthday breakfast was composed of all his favorites. After breakfast they went to the backyard, to the Owlery, where Narcissa presented him with a beautiful eagle owl. The eagle owl stared at him with its golden eyes before hooting once and nipping his finger affectionately. Draco smirked, knowing he'd be one of the few--or in fact the only--boy in school with such a magnificent creature. Also outside was Mireya's gift, a lovely Granian winged foal.

"He's amazing Mireya." Draco told her, petting the foal who seemed to adore his touch.

"He comes from Italy. I have a friend at St. Fortuna's who's brother breeds them. This one is made especially for racing." Mireya's eyes twinkled as Narcissa sent her an exasperated look.

"As if Quidditch weren't enough of a risk, now you're encouraging him to race?"

"Well Draco likes taking risks doesn't he." Mireya replied making the adults laugh. Bella giggled, patting the Granian foal who was nipping at her ponytail.

After those two gifts everyone went inside to open the rest of Draco's gifts. He got the new broom he wanted among other things he'd been hinting at since February. When he opened Bella's gift, he had to pause for a few moments.

Bella smiled at her big brother as he pulled out the silver pocket watch she'd found during their last trip to Diagon Alley. Her mother had given her a bit of gold so she could find something on her own for the first time. Bella had seen the pocket watch in a store window and gone in. It was an old watch, and it was a little broken. She'd gotten it for a steal. Once she'd gotten it home she'd enlisted Dumbledore's help to fix it up. The cracked glass was repaired easily. Dumbledore did some spell to fix the face of the watch. The stars which had been twitchy, now moved smoothly and the odd symbols along the edge were bright and glittering green.

"This is amazing Bella." Draco finally said. Bella beamed at him. Draco examined the watch some more. On the back was an engraving of a snake, on the inside was Draco's birthday and the year. He smiled.

"I added something special too." She said, taking the pocket watch from him carefully. Draco realized for the first time that Bella did everything gently. Narcissa's training was more embedded in his sister than he'd ever thought. Bella took a small key from her pocket and slid it into the back of the watch. She turned it twice then opened it. The face had changed into a picture of their mothers, Bella and himself. A soft tinkling melody played. Draco smiled at his sister. Bella closed the watch once the tune ended, handing him the key as well.

The day passed by quickly after that. They all went to lunch in London, in a Wizarding restaurant that Severus had found out about from one of the professors. After that Mireya demanded they go to the zoo, which Draco agreed with because it was just so funny to see Mireya acting like a Muggle.

The best thing however, was later that evening, after their relatives had left. Severus, Mireya, and Narcissa were enjoying some wine in the sitting room while Draco and Bella played chess by the open window. A barn owl swooped in and dropped two letters on the chess board, hooting at the pieces as they began to swear at it. Bella and Draco both reached for one then traded them. Draco opened up the evelope without a second thought, then stared in delight at the words on the heavy parchment.

"What is it Draco?" Narcissa asked, looking from Bella to Draco. Bella was also grinning at the letter she was reading.

"It's our Hogwarts letters." Draco finally said. He beamed at his sister who beamed back. Bella felt her heart fill to bursting. She had heard of Hogwarts for as long as she could remember of course. There was no doubt that's where she'd go...if she was magic enough. Somewhere in the back of her mind she'd habored a secret fear she might not make it. But she had. She'd get to go with Draco to Hogwarts!

Draco felt much the same as he went over to his mother and showed her the letter. He wouldn't want to go to any school that his sister couldn't attend. He just wouldn't know what to do without her around.

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Diagon Alley is always amazing, no matter if you're familiar with it or not. Bella loved coming here, especially with Draco. It was fun. She grabbed his hand tightly, swinging it a little as they waited for their mothers to catch up to them. They'd been talking to some of their friends they'd run into. Bella and Draco both didn't like waiting around for the adults to finish so they'd gone ahead and walked to the Quidditch shop then to Fortescue's for some ice-cream. Now Mireya and Narcissa appeared, wearing smiles as they joined their children at the table.

"All right here's how we'll do this." Mireya said. She pulled out a small sack of gold, handing it to Draco. "That should be enough for your uniforms. Severus is getting something taken care of in Knockturn Alley but he'll be along to pick you up from Madame Malkin's in about half an hour. I'll be with Narcissa getting your equipment. Severus will take you to buy your potions ingredients, and then we'll all meet in Flourish and Blotts to get your books. After that we'll go to Ollivanders to get your wands. Then we'll all head home to drop everything off before heading to the theater for the preformance."

"Sounds like a plan." Draco said, taking the gold and Bella's hand in his own. "Come on then." He waved to their mothers then pulled Bella to the robes shop.

"Good afternoon dears. Hogwarts robes?" asked Madam Malkin's assistant. Draco sneered a little but merely nodded. He tried not to be too much of a prat when Bella was around. The assistant smiled, but Draco was pleased to see it was fixed. Good. She was inferior to him anyway. The assistant led them to the back of the shop. Bella was put on a stool next to Draco, looking around with interest. Draco couldn't figure out why though. Bella knew these witches were far beneath her socially and no doubt economically. But then again she was Mireya's daughter. Mireya dragged them both frequently into Muggle London, so that they were exposed to the world she grew up in. She had lived in the Muggle world for so long, it seemed just a natural part of living to her.

"That's a lovely dress robe." Bella was saying to the witch working on her. The woman, who'd been expecting some scathing comment, blinked in honest surprise. Draco allowed himself a disgusted snort. He really hated when people judged his sister based on his actions. Honestly, as if Bella couldn't be different from him.

"Oh why thank you. I made it myself."

"Really? That's amazing!" Bella beamed at the witch who flushed with pride at the flattery. "My mama's been teaching me how to make clothes by hand. She says I have a knack for it. I wish I could make something as beautiful as that someday." The witch twittered with delighted giggles and Draco rolled his eyes. Honestly...

"Would you like to try it on?" The witch asked suddenly, earning giggles from the witch working on Draco. Draco narrowed his eyes a bit.

"Oh!" Bella turned to him. "Can I big brother?" The witches shared a look at Bella's request. Draco smirked in contempt at them. They would never understand Bella like he did. No one ever would. That knowledge filled him with smugness.

"Of course." Bella grinned then turned to follow the witch who'd already rushed forward and picked the robe off its display. She led Bella into a dressing room.

Just then Draco turned to find a skinny black haired boy with broken glasses and bright green eyes being led towards him. He too was placed on a stool.

Draco began a conversation with him, wondering if he'd ever seen him before. Something about him felt familiar but even as he spoke to the boy he couldn't place what it was. "Mother and Aunt Mireya are up the street buying my equipment and my godfather is going to come by soon and take me to get my potions ingredients." Draco was very glad he'd managed to keep his drawl firmly in place. He'd have to tell his mother, who had pointed out how it broke sometimes. "After that I'll be getting my books then going to get my wand. But before that I think I'll drag them all to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I might just try and smuggle mine in somehow." Draco looked at the boy, growing a little frustrated with himself. And what was taking Bella so long? She'd be able to tell him where Draco had seen the boy before.

"Have you got your own broom?" Draco asked the boy.

"No."

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"No."

Draco blinked then shrugged the smallest bit. He was probably a half-blood then at the very least.

"I do. Mother says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in?"

"No."

_Hmph, he isn't that interesting... Still... I feel like I've seen him before. _Draco thought to himself then. "Well no one really knows until they get there do they? But I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been--imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

The boy made a sound in the back of his throat.

Draco then pointed out a huge man with a wild beard. When the boy said it was Hagrid the groundskeeper Draco realized why he looked familiar.

Although they weren't allowed into the castle during the school year, Draco had often joined the headmaster for dinner and they'd passed by the man's hut. "Right, Hagrid." Then he blinked. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"

"Dead."

"Oh sorry." Draco said, suddenly thinking he'd gotten more interesting. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"

"They were a witch and a wizard, if that's what you mean."

"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname--?"

"Draco." Draco jumped at the sound of Severus's voice. "Where's Bella?" He asked in a deathly chill. Uh oh...Severus hated when Bella wandered off on her own. Draco felt himself shrug before he could help himself, which just made Severus's eyes flash. "Hmm?"

"I'm here." Draco saw the other boy's head turn back as well towards the voice. Bella was dressed in a shimmering dress gown, her hair messy piled on her head. She gave a little spin and a giggle. "Miss Louise was just showing me some of her other dress robes."

"Hn. Have you got your robes yet Bella?" Draco saw the boy hurry away and grimaced. He had wanted Bella to take a look at him. Oh well, he'd see him at the castle if nothing else.

"Yes Severus!" Bella hugged him then hurried back to the dressing room to get back into her robes and gather her uniform.

Once that was paid for they went to the Apothecary to get their ingredients then to Flourish and Blotts to get their books. Severus made Draco stop whining for a gold cauldron and pulled Bella away from a set of amethyst potions phials. Narcissa and Mireya laughed as they watched Severus calmly steer the children around. They were an odd family but happy.

After dragging their parentals to different shops, they finally ended up in Ollivanders.

Bella had never been in here before. She'd peered in the windows plenty of times and even spoken to Ollivander on occasion. But she'd never actually gone into the shop. Mireya and Narcissa sat on chairs Severus conjured for them while Severus stood against the wall as the two children looked around.

"Good afternoon." Draco jumped a little but Bella just giggled. Ollivander creeped Draco out, he couldn't see how Bella could handle talking to him.

"Hello Mr. Ollivander." Bella replied, giving him a little bow, which the old man returned. Then he stood up and peered at Draco who gulped and tried not to blink.

"Well I was hoping you'd be coming soon Miss Malfoy." Ollivander finally said to Bella who grinned at him. "You as well Mr. Malfoy." He peered at Draco some more before moving on to the boxes lining up the shelves and walls. "Ah, Ms. Black, Mr. Snape..." Ollivander trailed off with his eyes on Mireya. Draco smirked as he watched Mireya walk forward to introduce herself.

"Mireya Diaz, Bella's mother."

"A pleasure mademoiselle." Mireya smiled. "I did not have the pleasure of giving you your wand." Ollivander added. Mireya pulled out her wand as she shook her head.

"I'm afraid not senor. I was born in Spain. I got my wand from Senora Pilar de los Angeles."

"I have heard of Lady de los Angeles. She and I studied with the same mentor for a year. May I see your wand?" Mireya handed it over and Ollivander studied it with a smile. "Rowan, eleven and a half inches, and the...oh my." Ollivander chuckled.

"And the hair of a siren." Mireya finished for him. "A personal friend of Senora." Mireya added.

Ollivander chuckled and handed it back to her. Then he turned to the children again who were looking around eagerly. "Well let's get you too started." He measured them up then headed into his labyrinth of wands. He came back with a selection and they began trying them out.

Draco found his first. He waved it around and couldn't help the cry of delight when the wand reacted to his touch, shooting out emerald sparks. Narcissa and Severus looked regally pleased while Mireya hugged him and kissed his cheek. "Yes yes very good! Hawthorn and unicorn hair, ten inches, reasonably springy. An excellent wand Mr. Malfoy." Draco grinned.

Bella found hers a few minutes after her brother. Ollivander looked positively ecstatic when he realized she was going to be the harder sell. He had to go to the second floor to get some wands he thought might suit her. Bella let herself sigh as he did that. Severus walked forward to pat her head. She leaned into him, biting her lip.

"There is nothing wrong with being picky." Severus told her with a smile. She nodded, turning back to Ollivander when he returned. It took four more tries but finally she grasped another wand and paused. It felt nice and warm under her fingers. She waved it and red and green sparks emerged from the tip. Mireya and Draco cheered as Bella did a little happy dance. She held the wand to her chest for a second before handing it back to Mr. Ollivander so he could put it in its box. "Rowan, ten inches, unicorn hair." Ollivander smiled, looking from Draco to Bella.

"Cool! We have the same type of wand cores!" Bella squealed, throwing her arms around Draco.

"Yes we do." He chuckled, patting her head.

"Your unicorn cores actually came from two unicorn siblings." Ollivander said suddenly, making Draco and Bella gape at him before laughing.

"Our cores came from sibling unicorns." Draco asked.

"Yes. A male and a female in fact." Ollivander's pale eyes twinkled. "I expect the bonds holding you two together are very very strong. Sadly the male unicorn was injured by a dragon later in the year after I had gotten it's tail hair. It passed away with his sister at his side." Bella felt herself tighten her grasp on Draco. "Their caretaker told me she never left his side, not until a week after he had passed. The female went on to have many foals and later gave her life for one of them, who was a rare black unicorn that was about to be killed by hunters." Ollivander smiled at the adults now, who were sharing speculating looks.

Draco and Bella stared at each other before smiling suddenly. Yeah, they were that close. And they were well respected in the Wizarding community.

"We're going to be fine wizards too." Draco said as they left the wandmaker's shop. He was strutting a little which made Severus, Mireya, and Narcissa laugh. Bella just nodded, walking by him serenly, looking like she was gliding across the cobblestones.

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A week later Bella awoke and stared at her summer sky ceiling. She had had a weird dream. In it she was on a broomstick with someone. Not Draco though. It was another boy. She hadn't gotten a good look at him though.

"I better never tell Draco I've started dreaming about boys." She told the puffy clouds on her ceiling. A phoenix passed by suddenly which made her shoot out of bed. She rushed down the hall to Draco's room, throwing open the doors. Whereas Bella's room was like spring, Draco's was like winter. Silver hangings on the windows and pure white carpet. The bed was made of silvery wood, the hangings were rich emerald. The ceiling had the sky as well but it was a frosty winter sky. The phoenix passed through his sky as well reminding Bella why she'd come in here. She jumped onto Draco's bed and shook him awake. Draco shot up in bed, his white-blonde hair sticking up in odd directions.

"Draco! I saw the phoenix in the sky!" Draco blinked, looking up at his ceiling sleepily. Then he jumped as is jolted by electricity.

"Dumbledore must have come for a visit." Draco yawned, stretching and looking over at the Quidditch calender next to his bed. The date was August sixth. He grinned suddenly, tackling Bella. "Happy birthday Bella!" Bella blinked, before laughing.

"Oh yeah! It's my birthday!" Bella laughed as she was cuddled. Draco was such a cuddle monster. But then again so was she. She laughed and tackled him. The two fought playfully for a few minutes until Bella tumbled off the bed and onto the carpet laughing.

"Ha I win." Draco smirked. Bella stuck her tongue out at him.

"I was supposed to win! It's my birthday!" She laughed as she was tackled again by her elder brother.

Once they were less hyper they hurried to get washed up then the raced down the stairs, into the Solarium where once again their relatives and family waited for them. This time however, Dumbledore had joined them.

"Happy birthday Bella!" They said, making Bella blush and curtsy. Nymphadora squished her in a tight hug, her hair her favorite shade of bubblegum pink.

"The big eleven!" Dora said, sitting Bella at the head of the table. "Finally! Now I can start teaching you all the pranks I did while at school. Oops! Sorry headmaster!" Dora said, not sounding sorry at all. Dumbledore just laughed.

"Quite all right Nymphadora. I expect pranks from the Malfoys. After all they are from a very playful bloodline." The headmaster's blue eyes twinkled. Bella laughed.

"I promise not to get too carried away headmaster." Bella paused as she stabbed her eggs with her fork. "Professor?" Dumbledore looked at her. "How is this going to work?" Bella put a finger to her cheek thoughtfully. "I mean we live like twenty minutes away from Hogwarts. So can we just go through the grounds like we do when we have dinner together? Or what?"

Dumbledore steepled his fingers as the rest of the room chatted and ate. Finally he cleared his throat, beaming at the girl. "I have an idea." Everyone listened up. "It would be a shame if you missed the train rides, so why don't we do this. From now on, you may take the train from Hogsmeade to King's Cross during the beginning and end of the year." Bella and Draco grinned.

"Really!? Yay!" Bella laughed and got up to hug the old headmaster. "Thank you so much! I've always wanted to ride the train!"

"Well you're very welcome."

The rest of the day followed mostly the same pattern as Draco's birthday. Bella was given a beautiful snowy owl, and a Kneazle, which she took to immediately. They ate lunch and Bella opened her own presents. Draco's gift for her was as equally thoughtful as the beautiful silver pocket watch he always carried around. The necklace was pure delicate silver, the charm hanging off it was a sapphire box. Draco held out the key. She placed it in the keyhole and turned it twice. The same soft melody that played from Draco's pocket watch now played from the music box. Bella nearly cried as she threw her arms around her brother.

After that they went to the theater once more, to watch a Muggle movie. Draco couldn't help but snigger at all the misconceptions about magic and wizards Muggles had.

They went to dinner in London's Muggle section, per Bella's request. Draco felt a little out of place, but soon enough his sister's jokes and laughs got him to relax. He glared at other children when their gazes lingered on her too long though. No one was taking his little sister away from him. Nobody.

At home that evening Bella flopped onto her bed, her hand on her new charm. In a few weeks they'd be starting at Hogwarts. She wondered what it would be like, to begin studying magic with other students her age. Would she make friends? Would they think she was a stuck-up Malfoy? Would they make fun of her? Considering the story of her parentage wasn't exactly secret, she felt she had a right to worry about that. Taking the key, which hung from a link on her bracelet, she played the melody from her charm and smiled.

"Well either way, I have my big brother. Draco'll always be there for me, no matter what." Bella assured herself.

Draco, who had been leaning against her doorframe, allowed himself to scoff and roll his eyes, making Bella jump. "As if I'd ever let you out of my sight. Merlin knows what trouble you'd get yourself into."

Bella beamed at Draco, then blew a raspberry at him. "You're so mean!"

"And you're too goody goody. You best be careful or you'll end up in Gryffindor." Bella wrinkled her nose playfully, then she grew serious.

"What if I did?" She asked so quietly that Draco almost didn't hear. He walked over to his little sister and pulled her into a one-armed hug.

"You won't. You're my sister." Draco sounded so supremely certain that it eased Bella's worries. She didn't really know any children outside from the ones of Narcissa's acquaintances. And she wasn't even friends with them. "Besides, families usually go into the same houses. Our dad was a Slytherin, Mother was as well, and Severus is the head of Slytherin house. Mireya would probably have been a Slytherin too. She's cunning enough to be one." Bella smiled at her big brother, sighing heavily.

"But say that I was sorted into Gryffindor anyway? Would you be mad?"

Draco sighed. Bella wanted an answer so he'd have to give her a good one. "Well yes I would. Not because of the house you'd be in, but because we'd be separated." Draco sighed heavily. "I have to take care of you, you never take care of yourself. If you were in another house with complete strangers I wouldn't be able to trust them not to make fun of you or hurt you or make you cry. So you _have_ to be in Slytherin." Draco finished, patting his sister's head. Bella smiled lovingly at him. Draco smirked back, leaving her to get ready for bed.

He knew she'd end up in Slytherin, she just had to. Bella could be sweet and loving, but she was also cunning and she wasn't above doing whatever it took to achieve the results she wanted. She had learned well at Narcissa's knee after all. His little sister was a perfect blend of all that was good and all that was sly.

Which was why no matter how confident he sounded, he knew he had every right to worry about his little sister ending up in Gryffindor. So he worried, but silently, because it wouldn't do to worry his sister. They had a few weeks left of summer however, so he shoved those worries aside for now. He could worry about that on the 1st of September.

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Bella stared out the windows with a delighted grin on her face. She and Draco had enjoyed the train ride over here and now they were looking around King's Cross station in awe. She ran around trolleys and tourists and busy commuters, laughing at the top of her lungs. Draco followed after her, calling her name and wondering where all this energy came from. He was excited too but he didn't have this need to run around like a loon.

Finally he grabbed her arm and dragged her back through the hidden archway, onto the platform that had filled with wizards and witches while he'd been chasing Bella. Draco made sure to keep a tight grip on her hand, in case she had another urge to rampage around. But Bella seemed to have gotten it out of her system so she followed behind him docilily. When their pureblood acquaintances showed up she hid herself behind Draco, shyly bowing her head.

"Draco!" Pansy's shrill voice bored into Draco's head. He grimaced as she threw her arms around him in an imitation of Bella. Just because he let his sister get away with it didn't mean she could do it too.

"Get off Parkinson." Bella's cool tone stunned the girl who immediately let go. Bella had that look on her face, the look Narcissa got when she was dealing with a fawning admirer or an imbecile. Draco heartily approved. It was time his sister show what she was capable of.

"Haha very good show Bella." Blaise said and winked at her. Bella smiled back serenly, turning when she heard one of the Patils call her name. She waved to them and they came over to talk to her. Blaise turned to Draco who nodded to him.

"It's good to see you Blaise. How was Italy?"

"It suited Mother, but I was lonely without proper company." Blaise said as they walked to the train, Bella unconsciously following. She bid the Patils goodbye, turning to face the boys in front of her just as Crabbe and Goyle appeared. Pansy sulked up to them after a minute, throwing Bella a scalding gaze. Bella just arched an eyebrow and shrugged.

"Honestly Draco, isn't it weird to have you little sister boss your friends around?" Pansy asked, breaking into the Quidditch talk the boys had gotten into. Draco gave her the same look and shrug as Bella just had.

"No it's not. We look out for each other. Obviously Bella must have thought you were holding me a little too tightly."

"Actually I just didn't want her hugging you like that." Bella replied making the boys laugh as Pansy flushed darkly. Bella tossed her hair and smirked.

"You're a total control freak." Pansy hissed. Bella smiled then, a bright cheery smile that was scary enough to cause Pansy to step back.

"If I'm a control freak then you're a sweetheart, which we all know you're not." Bella sighed then. "I'm going to go check on Calixto, Ptolemy and Zephyr." With that bella gave him a grin and disappeared into the train.

"Who?" Blaise asked as he and Draco walked around the platform to kill some time.

"Our new pets. Mother got me an eagle owl which I named Ptolemy. Calixto is her Kneazle and Zephyr is her snowy owl. I also got a Granian which I named Orpheus."

"You're spoiled rotten you know that Malfoy?" Blaise asked, with a teasing light in his eyes. Draco just grinned.

They boarded the train when the first whistle blew. Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise waved goodbye to their mothers before the ship began to move. Draco then led them to their compartment. Bella was already there, curled up in a corner with Calixto in her lap. Calixto opened his yellow eyes and stared at the unfamiliar boys. Bella smiled when he turned and presented them with his backside, his lion's tail waving nonchalantly.

"Now don't be mean Calixto." Bella cooed.

Draco laughed and settled down next to his sister. Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise sat across from them. They all chatted amicably as the train winded its way back to Hogsmeade station.

A while after the lunch trolley had appeared Pansy came running into their compartment. "Draco, Draco! They're saying Harry Potter is on the train!"

Draco gaped at her and suddenly his mind snapped the pieces together. The boy in Madame Malkin's. That's why he looked familiar. It had to be that boy.

"Where?"

"Down the train." Pansy replied and Draco motioned to Crabbe and Goyle who immediately stood up. Bella got up as well and followed silently. Her brother was bound to get himself into trouble without her.

When they reached the compartment Bella stood by the door, peering at the black haired boy standing in front of them. She'd heard of Harry Potter all her life of course. Her mama had told her and Draco stories of the boy and his parents. How Bella was safe in this world because of him.

"Is it true? They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you isn't it?" Draco asked and Bella sighed. He was so rude sometimes.

"Yes." Harry Potter replied, looking at Crabbe and Goyle warily. Bella couldn't blame him. Crabbe and Goyle weren't exactly cuddly kittens.

"Oh this is Crabbe and this is Goyle." Draco said, then he turned.. "And my name's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

The redhead sitting with Harry coughed, and Bella smiled at him as well. Though she had to frown once Draco began speaking.

"Think my name's funny do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

"Draco!" Bella scolded, causing Draco to flinch the smallest bit. But he continued on.

"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He held out his hand to shake Harry's but Bella suddenly burst into Spanish.

"_Draco! You promised not to be so rude!"_ She scolded her older brother in Spanish, her eyes flashing as she shook her head. "_You promised_!"

"_Bella, I'm only trying to stop him from making bad friends_." He told her in Spanish as well. "_That's not being rude."_

Ron suddenly stood up, sneering at Draco. "Oh like you're one to talk Malfoy! I heard all about you and _your_ family! You have an _illegitimate half-blood sister_!" Bella flinched this time, turning away from Draco to look to the floor. The way Weasley had said it, made it sound like a bad thing. Bella shut her eyes, fearing she'd caused her brother grief yet again. Draco's eyes blazed with anger as he saw Bella quietly slip into the corridor.

"You shut up about my sister Weasley." Draco hissed. "What's it matter whether our father married her mother or not!" Ron looked slightly shocked at this reaction. He'd been expecting Malfoy to deny he had such a sister, considering how Narcissa Black was always so high and mighty and deeply pureblood. "We got the same blood in our veins you prat!" Draco lunged for Ron but Harry blocked him. At the same time Bella entered the room and pulled on Draco's arm.

_"Draco, no! Please don't get into a fight!" _She begged her brother. Draco sneered at Weasley and Harry Potter but turned, Crabbe and Goyle leaving with him. Draco did his best to shield Bella from view as he led her back to their compartment.

"I don't care what anyone says." Draco growled as he sat Bella down and settled beside her. "You're my sister and no one gets away with insulting you."

Bella smiled and touched her charm. Draco smiled and nodded, holding her hand as she curled up and took a nap. No one would ever get away with insulting Bella Luciana Malfoy.

------

Harry stared at the door for a moment before turning to Ron. "Er, I think that girl was his sister Ron." Ron's ears turned pink.

"Nah it couldn't have been. No way would Bella Malfoy be on this train." Harry gave him a questioning look as he sat back down. Ron took a Pumpkin Pastie and took a bite before speaking. "She's kept mostly at Black Manor, which is close to Hogwarts. I don't even know why Malfoy would be on the train in the first place, considering he lives so close. But anyway, his half-sister, Bella, she's the daughter of a Muggleborn and Lucius Malfoy. The story goes that when Narcissa Black, Malfoy's mom, found out about Lucius Malfoy's mistress, she let the other woman live with them at Malfoy Manor. But something went wrong because a short while later both women left Malfoy Manor and started living at Black Manor. Narcissa Black got divorced and she and the Muggleborn witch have been living together."

"Some say Bella Malfoy's sick with a rare disease which is why she's kept hidden away most of the time at Black Manor. My mum figures that it's really that Lucius Malfoy tried to kidnap her once when she and her brother were younger so they keep both of them in the Manor, but of course, Draco Malfoy is a full pureblood so he has more support from other pureblood families and doesn't have to worry about Lucius Malfoy trying to take him again."

Harry blinked, this sounded like one of Aunt Petunia's soap operas. "...I still think that was his sister though. And what's so bad about being half-blood anyway?"

"Oh there's nothing wrong with it." Ron said promptly, biting into a Chocolate Frog. "It's just Narcissa Black and Draco Malfoy act like they're better than everybody, and they hate Muggleborns. I don't get how they can live with a Muggleborn witch and a half-blood girl. It's just wrong to be like that right?"

Harry shrugged. This was a very complicated mess really. He wondered though, more about the girl who'd pulled Malfoy away. She'd looked embarrassed and sad. Maybe she thought Ron didn't like people like her. Obviously Malfoy didn't mind his sister being a halfblood if he was ready to knock Ron's teeth out. He pondered about that as he tugged on his robes and readied to start his school year.

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**_There you go! Chapter four! yay! I like Waga Routashi a lot. Now I hope you do too! Please continue to enjoy! _**


	5. The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo)_**

**_Yay! I love this story! I love love love it! And you all seem to love it too! Hooray! Hehe, thanks for the reviews and for reading and adding this to your Story Alerts and Favorties list! As always everything I haven't made up is totally J.K. Rowling's. But everything else is mine mine mine! Wheee! On with the program!_**

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**_Part One_**

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**_Chapter Five: The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else Too_**

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Bella and Draco stayed close as they stepped onto the platform. Calixto was safe in Bella's arms as the two Malfoys made their way to the boats. They followed Hagrid's calls and then stuck close as they made their way through the trail to the boats. They took one with Crabbe and Goyle. Once everyone was settled they began to glide across. Bella stared up with a loving smile at the castle. Hogwarts was so beautiful. It always was but there was something magical about seeing it lit up from across a lake.

Soon enough the boats hit the shore. Draco made sure to keep close to his sister, enjoying Bella's coos of delight. Honestly, his sister was way too easy to please. Which was both a blessing and a curse, at least that's what Severus said.

"The firs' years Professor McGonagall." Bella smiled as the witch turned to them. She'd met Minerva McGonagall many times. The witch was stern but fair, a real Gryffindor.

"Thank you Hagrid." McGonagall said. She led them into the castle, to a room across the from the Great Hall. Bella hadn't been in this room before, but then again she'd only ever visited the library, Severus's quarters, the Great Hall and once, Dumbledore's office. "Welcome to Hogwarts." McGonagall was saying now. Bella zoned out a little during her speech. She already knew about the Sorting, how they'd get sorted, and all that. She'd been to at least four Sortings that she could remember. She knew what to expect more or less. McGonagall left then, to prepare the Sorting hat for them.

"Bella!" Bella turned and found herself being squeezed by a bushy haired girl. Bella recognized her then.

"Hermione!' Bella squished back. Draco cocked an eyebrow at the display.

"Oh Bella it really is just as amazing as you said it would be!" Hermione gushed. Bella laughed happily. "I mean reading about it in _Hogwarts, A History_ was amazing enough but this! This is so much better!"

"Bella, who's this?" Draco asked, looking the witch up and down. Bushy brown hair, buck teeth, brown eyes, regular complexion. She was obviously not from any sort of high class.

"Oh this is Hermione Granger. I met her when I went with Mama to Salome's." Bella explained and Draco recalled the afternoon a week before term when Mireya and Bella had gone to Diagon Alley for their monthly visit to the Spanish shop that had opened last year. "Hermione's from a Muggle family." Bella said in a bright cheerful tone while her silvery eyes locked with Draco's. Draco pursed his lips, nodded once to Hermione then turned away. A Mudblood! Of course Bella would make friends with a Mudblood! Draco sighed, knowing it would do no good to huff and puff around though. Bella would talk to whoever she liked unless Draco deemed them untrustworthy. And even if he said that about this Granger, then Bella would think it was just his prejudice against Muggleborns making him say that. Damn.

"So what exactly do we have to do for the Sorting?" Hermione asked Bella now.

"Oh you just have to try on the Sorting Hat."

"The what?"

Bella giggled. "The Sorting Hat. It's an enchanted hat. Mama says that it can look into your head and that's how it figures out where you belong." Hermione's brown eyes were round with awe.

"That sounds so interesting!"

"Yes it is. What house are you hoping for?" Bella asked.

"Gryffindor. It sounds by far the best. Dumbledore himself was in it. What about you?"

Draco couldn't stop himself from whirling around and pulling Bella to his side then. "Slytherin of course." Draco answered for his sister. "Wherever I go, Bella goes and vice versa. Right?"

"Right!" Bella chirped. She turned her head then and found a pair of blue and a pair of green eyes on her. Harry Potter and his Weasley friend were gaping at her, Ron looking very flustered. Bella dropped her head and looked away.

"But...but they say..." Hermione began. Bella raised a hand though to stop her.

"Whatever house I end up in, it doesn't matter. It won't change who I am." Bella murmured, her black hair forming a curtain against the eyes she felt still on her. "If growing up with purebloods hasn't affected me," Bella raised her voice the smallest bit so that others could hear, "then I doubt my house affiliation will matter much." Bella then looked imploringly at Hermione. "I hope though, that no matter what houses we end up, we can still be friends."

"Oh of course!" Hermione said promptly and Bella grinned brightly. Draco sighed, having been hoping the girl would say no so he could denounce her as fake and stop this friendship. Oh well, he just had to hope Granger ended up in her preferred house and Bella ended up in Slytherin.

The ghosts appeared then and Bella began naming them for Hermione who soaked the information up like a dry sponge. McGonagall reappeared then and shooed the ghosts away. "Form a line and follow me." Bella smiled, standing between Draco and Hermione as McGonagall led them into the Great Hall.

"Look." Bella said pointing up. Hermione's eyes sparkled. "Just like in the book. And sometimes in the winter, snow even falls, but it comes down warm." Bella smiled at Hermione's gaping expression. Draco mentally groaned. Honestly, why couldn't Bella make friends with their own class of people.

They were lined up between the head table and the house tables. On a stool sat the Sorting Hat. Once they were all ready it began to sing about the virtues of each house. Then began the reading of the list. One by one the witches and wizards walked forward, placed the hat on their head and got sorted. "Granger, Hermione!" Hermione nearly ran and Draco sneered but Bella just giggled. The Sorting hat took a few moments then shouted out, "GRYFFINDOR!" Hermione waved to Bella as she hurried to the Gryffindor table.

A short while afterward came their turn. "Malfoy, Bella!" Bella walked forward in the calm, soft way Mireya did. She waved at a few of the older students she'd met during some of their dinners with the Headmaster. Then she placed the hat on her head and took a deep breath.

"Well well well, Miss Malfoy. An honor." Said the Sorting Hat. Bella smiled. "Let's take a look and see where we shall put you. Talented of course, kind, well-bred, sneaky when needed, loyal, courageous enough to defy your Aunt Cissa's ideals, brave enough to do what you like...Hmm and a thirst to prove yourself. "

_"Please let it be Slytherin." _

"Slytherin? Well there's a first. Most want to avoid Slytherin house."

_"Not me. I want to be in Slytherin. So Draco will be happy and so that I can prove that Slytherin isn't all bad."_

"Hmm....you could belong to Slytherin, but you also hold many qualities for Gryffindor."

_"That is very nice to know. But just the same, I would very much like Slytherin." _

"Very well then." The Sorting Hat paused then shouted, "SLYTHERIN!" Bella pulled the hat off, smiled at her big brother then hurried to the Slytherin table.

"Malfoy, Draco!" McGonagall called. Draco swaggered to the stool, his eyes alight with happiness. His sister was in his house. The hat barely touched his head before it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!" Draco smirked and made his way to the Slytherin table.

Bella and he watched the rest of the Sorting with great interest. Bella watched as Harry Potter was made a Gryffindor. "Pft, of course." Draco scoffed beside her. Then further down the list came the Weasley, Ron. He too was a Gryffindor. Finally Blaise was put into Slytherin and Bella sighed,feeling emotionally drained. Hermione waved to her and Bella cheered up, waving back as Dumbledore began the feast.

The food was as delicious as always. Bella was pulled into a conversation with a Slytherin third year she'd become friendly with while Draco and Blaise discussed Italy more. She was feeling completely at ease, having forgotten for the moment Ron Weasley's words.

------

Harry turned to Ron as he sat down. "I told you that was his sister."

Ron's ears turned pink. "Well how was I supposed to know? It's like I said, no one's really ever seen her before. Besides they don't look a thing alike."

Harry turned to look at the Malfoy siblings and had to disagree. Sure their hair color was different and the shapes of their faces were a little bit off, but you could tell they were related. They had the same gray eyes, the same high cheekbones and the same aristocratic pale skin. Harry couldn't help but notice that their hair was even parted in the same place. The more he looked, the more he noticed things he probably thought they hadn't even noticed. Like the way Draco leaned a bit forward and to the side, just enough to block Bella from the sneers of some of the Slytherin girls. Or the way Bella would tug Draco's sleeve whenever he seemed to be about to say something stupid. There was also the way the two would incline their heads when an older student spoke, a curious look on their faces.

They weren't exactly identical but anyone could see how close they were. Seeing how protective of Bella, Draco was during their feast, Harry had to come to the conclusion that Malfoy couldn't be all bad. Not if he had a soft spot for his little sister like that.

"Hey yeah..." Harry suddenly asked, turning to Ron who was starting into a bit of fudge. "How much younger is Malfoy's sister?"

"Only two months." Percy Weasley replied with a sniff. Harry blinked. She was only two months younger? Wow... "Yes. Scandalous isn't it? The _Daily Prophet_ had a field day with that when they reported on the Malfoys' divorce." Percy sounded a little too happy about the scandal than he should. He was rather the pompous sort.

"She doesn't look like such a bad person." Harry said, watching as Bella once again tugged on Draco's sleeve. Draco cast her a questioning look and she rolled her eyes. Obviously that meant something because Draco nodded after that.

"Oh I doubt she's as terrible as some people speculate." Percy continued. "Her mother is a Healer--a wizard doctor--and she's very well respected in the Wizarding world." Percy took a bite of pie. "She and her brother have often come to the Great Hall to dine with the headmaster. Did you know Professor Dumbledore put Miss Diaz through her training himself? Many have wondered why he would do so but he's never answered that question."

"How do you know all this?" Ron asked his brother.

"I asked of course." Percy replied, smirking with content pride. "Miss Diaz told me that herself." Ron gaped at the audacity of his elder sibling while Percy just continued to smirk.

"Wait you've met her?" Ron gaped. Percy nodded.

"She's a very kind witch. Very intelligent as well. And quite beautiful. Some say her only rival is Narcissa Black." Percy studiously ignored his red-faced younger brother and turned to talk to some of his fifth year friends.

Harry laughed at Ron's expression, shaking his head as he finished his dessert and turned when Dumbledore stood once more, giving them the announcements and warnings.

------

Bella and Draco had heard all these before. The one that caught their attention however, was the warning of the third floor corridor. They'd never heard Dumbledore say anything like that. Hmm...

"And now bedtime! Off you trot." Dumbledore said. Draco and Bella followed the Slytherin prefects down the stairs, to the dungeons. They stopped in front of a long stretch of stone wall that looked exactly like the others. "The password is Salazar." Their prefect said. A part of the stone wall opened up and Bella followed their fellow first years into the common room. It was long and low, like most dungeons. The floor was covered with expensive looking rugs. The walls and ceiling were all rough stone. Green lamps hung from the ceiling on silver chains. High backed chairs and couches were scattered around along with tables of dark wood and bookshelves filled with an odd assortment of books lined one wall. The fire was blazing in the fireplace under the elaborately carved mantlepiece. It was a lot like their basement actually and that made Bella feel more at home.

"The girls dormitories are to the right, the boys to the left." Their prefect said, motioning to two archways separated by a statue of Salazar Slytherin, their house founder. Bella gulped a little, looking at Slytherin's stone form made her skin crawl.

"See you in the morning Bella." Draco said, giving his sister a good night hug. Bella squeezed him extra tight then followed Pansy, Millicent Bulstrode, and the other two Slytherin girls. She kept looking behind her until she had to turn a corner. Draco watched her go then followed Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle and Theodore Nott into their dormitory.

"You worry too much about her." Blaise told him as they entered their room and found their trunks were already there, their pajamas laid out by the house-elves no doubt. "She'll be fine."

Draco only nodded as Blaise pulled out a pack of Exploding Snap and challenged Crabbe to a game. Draco slipped into his pajamas and pulled a book from his trunk. He also pulled the silver pocket watch from his robes and placed it under his pillow. He listened to his friends laugh and shout while he read the latest murder mystery from that Muggle author Mireya followed.

Meanwhile Bella was sighing as Pansy and Millicent squealed and laughed about goodness knew what that they'd read in _Witch Weekly_. She settled into her bed, drawing the curtains and lighting her wand. Sticking the wand behind her ear she picked up a Muggle pen and pulled her notebook from her bag. Bella thought for a moment then began scribbling. Half formed sentences and broken imagery flowed onto the page. She was a writer, and she was very good if she said so herself. Draco loved the short stories she'd written about him and the poems that she sometimes asked him to look over.

Narcissa was the one who had pushed her to begin to write. It was a training tool, to teach Bella how to use words to create perfect pictures and cause those of lower status to shut up baffled. Bella had liked it, and had learned quickly which words fit well and which must be substituted with others so as to offer subtle jabs instead of outright insults. Bella and Draco both needed to know how to use that gift, Narcissa had told them. Without a father of great standing behind them, they would have to rely on their own wits and charms.

But Bella found it soothing and enjoyable to write little fantasies. Because in her stories she controlled the circumstances and the ending always turned out the way she wanted it too.

Still it was a bit of a shock when she paused and looked at what she'd written. Since when did she write about the mysterious Boy-Who-Lived? With a snort and a yawn she shut her notebook and turned off her wand. Then she curled up, drifted off to sleep, dreaming of lightning and golden light and a voice that whispered promises she could not remember when she awoke the next morning.

-----------------------------------------

"And I was the only one in our class that managed to turn it into a needle." Hermione told Bella proudly as the two girls met up in the library on Thursday.

"That's wonderful Hermione. I'm very proud of you." Hermione beamed at Bella's soft praise.

"Have you had Tranfiguration yet?"

"Yes, we had it on Wednesday." Bella pulled out the Transfiguration notes. "Even with the little bits our mums taught us, we're still not that much further ahead." Bella told Hermione with a grin. "I managed to make my match into a needle too. Draco was very proud of me and kept bragging to everyone about it." Bella's cheeks were slightly pink by the end of that sentence. Hermione just laughed.

"From everything you've told me, he seems to be a very good brother. He must love you a lot."

"Mmhm! And I love him a lot too. I'm lucky to have such a good big brother." Bella gushed making Hermione laugh again. Bella sighed then, shaking her head. "I only wish he weren't such a prejudiced jerk sometimes."

Hermione pat her hand and smiled. "Well that's why he has you isn't it? You'll get through to him eventually."

"You're an excellent friend Hermione." Bella told the girl who flushed with joy.

"What have you got tomorrow?" Hermione asked now, pulling out her schedule.

"Potions." Bella blinked when Hermione squealed. "What?"

"We have Potions together!" Bella blinked again then leaned over to look at the schedule.

"Oh! We do! I hadn't noticed!" The girls laughed together, chatting happily as they worked on their homework and talked about their other classes.

At around seven Draco appeared in the library. "Bella." He said and Bella snapped to attention, her head turning toward him. "It's almost time for dinner, come along."

"All right." Bella gathered her things and then hugged Hermione who flushed once again. "I'll see you tomorrow then Hermione."

"Yes!" Hermione said as she started gathering her own things. Bella left with Draco then, who managed to make it down one floor before scowling.

"I don't know what you find good about that Granger. Everyone says she's a show off and a know-it-all and she's not pretty at all. She looks like a chipmunk with those teeth!"

"Draco, just because she doesn't seem good enough to you doesn't mean I don't find anything good in her. She's a very clever witch. Her intelligence rivals ours. She learns quickly, makes excellent conversation, she doesn't judge me for being a Malfoy or a Slytherin. I bet if you just let down your guard long enough you'd find all that in her too."

Draco huffed at those words but then rolled his eyes and shook his head. "As Mother would say: Let her prove her worth and then we'll see." Bella giggled. Narcissa had said that many times during their childhood, especially when Mireya made a new acquaintance who wasn't rich or from a well-known family. Many of them had failed to prove themselves to her.

Bella could only hope that Hermione managed to meet Draco's standards before the Christmas holidays. Otherwise she'd have to put up with Draco's constant nagging. Her brother could really nag when he wanted to.

"She will. Just watch." Bella told her big brother as they settled into their seats. "I have complete faith in her."

"Of course you would." Draco said, half-annoyed, half-teasing. Bella smiled at him before handing him her notebook.

"I've started a new story. Tell me what you think of it." Draco settled down to his food and the new tale while Bella wondered how her brother could be so darned prejudiced and still care so much about her.

------------------------------------

Severus smirked as Draco and Bella took a seat towards the front of the class. Bella turned and waved to Hermione who waved back. _Well now,_ Severus thought to himself, _there's something I must ask about later._ He strolled up to the head of the class and then turned sharply. His dark black eyes were said to be cold and hard to most. But since Bella and Draco had grown up with him, they knew how to catch the flash of warmth that sprang into his eyes when he looked at them.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making." Severus began, eyes roving along the class. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses...I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper on death--if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Bella and Draco shared a grin. They'd already proven they weren't dunderheads. Still it was funny to hear Severus say such poetic things in front of a class of first years.

Hermione was looking very eager to prove she wasn't a dunderhead either. She knew what she was up against--Draco's prejudices--and she aimed to prove she was better than any other Muggleborn he'd ever met.

Severus whirled on Harry then. "Potter!" Snape said now, his eyes on Harry. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"I don't know sir." Harry replied. Bella felt a spasm of sympathy for him. Severus had made it no secret that he thought very lowly of anyone with the name Potter, even if Mireya had been friends with James and Lily Potter.

"Tut tut, clearly fame isn't everything." Bella was the only Slytherin who didn't snicker at Snape's words.

"Let's try again Potter. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

"I don't know." Harry said again. Severus's lips curled in a vindictive smirk.

"Didn't think you'd open a book before you came here, did you?" Harry looked angry. Bella really couldn't blame him. She wanted to say something but she didn't know how well recieved her intervention would be. Severus wouldn't like it much. And Harry would probably think it pity. No one she knew responded well to what they thought was pity.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"I don't know sir." Harry said, the anger evident on his tongue. At least to someone like Bella who'd been trained to find those nuances. "Hermione seems to know though, why don't you try her?" Bella paled. Oh no, that was a bad way to phrase that. As Severus's lips parted, Bella knew she had to intervene.

"Severus." Bella called out his name softly, but in the silence of the room it seemed to echo. Severus turned to her with a cocked eyebrow. "Powdered root of asphodel and an infusion of wormwood create the Draught of Living Death."

"Bella." Draco hissed. Bella ignored him and stood up.

"A bezoar is a stone found in the stomach of a goat and can save you from most poisons. And monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant, also known as aconite." Bella bowed her head then said, just as softly, "And you know hardly anyone in this class knows those answers. You shouldn't pick on Mr. Potter just because--"

"Enough Bella!" Severus said, turning slightly red. Bella tensed and bit her lip. "A point from Slytherin for cheek." Severus paused then added. "And a point from Gryffindor as well." He let the silence deepen before barking at them. "Write down what Miss Malfoy said." Bella took a deep breath as she allowed Draco to pull her into her seat.

_"Bella what were you thinking!?" _Draco whispered to her. _"You don't have to go defending people like Potter!" _

_"But Draco--" _

_"No buts! Don't do it again!" _Draco glared at Bella who sighed but nodded.

"I promise Draco." She told him. It was best to just appease his demands when he was this angry. Draco nodded once in satisfaction then lit the fire under their cauldrons and started the potion. Bella remained silent for the rest of class. Even when Severus snapped at Harry for Longbottom's mistake, she remained quiet, simply stirring their potion with her head bowed.

Snape let class out a little while after that. "Bella." He called over the clatter of the other students hurrying for the doors. Bella paused. "Come here." As she turned to face the potions master she caught a glimpse of Potter and Weasley casting her a quick glance. Draco sneered at them and started to follow Bella but Severus's voice stopped him. "Draco, go up to lunch. We'll be along shortly."

"Severus--"

"I said go up to lunch." Draco looked at his godfather's stern glare and nodded, heading up to the Great Hall with many backwards glances.

Severus waited until it was quiet then sighed. "Bella, you nearly embarrassed me earlier."

"I know Severus, I'm sorry." Bella mumbled. Severus reached over to pat her shoulder.

"Why?"

Bella let loose a deep and heavy sigh. "Because I got tired of it. Of hearing Draco's contempt of my friend Hermione, and his disgust with Potter and Weasley. I just couldn't help but feel Mr. Potter didn't deserve your abuse, so I decided I had to intervene. If I was wrong, I apologize again."

Severus studied Bella's face. The girl had learned the art of masks well, but she hardly had need to use them. Her face was open right now. He didn't even need Legilimency to see into her mind. Her face was paler than usual and tears swam in those silvery eyes. She was slightly hunched over, her arms wrapped around herself. Her eyes told him she was sorry for being cheeky but that she was not sorry for defending Potter. He shook his head.

"You are just like your mother." He said as he placed his hand on her shoulder and led her up towards the Great Hall. "She too defended Potter, and defends him still. I will never understand what drives the two of you to be that way." Bella smiled up at him as he pushed her gently into the seat beside Draco.

"It's just how we were meant to be I suppose." She replied, knowing the scolding was very much over with.

"Yes well next time, try not to reveal personal issues." Severus quppied as he headed to the head table.

Draco watched him then turned back to face Blaise and noticed Potter was looking right at him. No wait. Not at him. Draco sighed as he turned to find Bella was helping Crabbe with something and didn't notice Potter at all.

Oh this was going to get so complicated. He knew it. He could feel it. And he didn't like it.

-------------------------------------

"Harry Potter asked me about you." Hermione said a week later. Bella blinked. The girls were on their way to the front lawns for their flying lesson. They'd met in the entrance hall a little before everyone else so they wouldn't be bothered.

"He did?" Bella finally asked. "Why?"

"I don't know. He asked if we were friends and I said yes. Then he asked why you stood up for him in Potions and I had to tell him I didn't know. Because I really don't. You never did explain properly."

Bella chuckled at her friend. "Well it's simple really. I don't like seeing people bullied." Bella toyed with her thick braid. "I mean I already know how bad it feels."

"What do you mean?"

"Just because Draco and my family loves me, doesn't mean everybody does. I always have to face the sneers and subtle jabs at my lineage." Bella gave a sardonic grin. "I get the worst of it just for being a bastard."

"Bella! Don't call yourself such things!" Hermione scolded. Bella just shrugged.

"It's the truth Hermione. I'm not afraid of telling anyone the truth." Bella glared at the old school brooms they'd reached. "I'm also not going to let anyone stop me from helping someone if I can. I'm not cold hearted you know."

"Yes, I know." Hermions spoke so softly and simply that Bella felt overcome with the urge to hug her. So she did just as their classmates joined them.

"Bella!" Pansy gasped. "Let go of her right now. Draco! Bella's hugging Granger!"

"Oh shut up Pansy." Bella's voice was suddenly ice cold and stung Pansy like a slap. "Get over your jealousy would you? It makes you even uglier." Pansy turned bright angry red.

"You listen here--" Bella walked up to Pansy, her face only a foot from the other girl's. Pansy squeaked and took a step back, then seemed to realize what she'd done and grew redder.

"No you listen Parkinson. Auntie Cissa might find something good about you, she might tolerate your mother, she can handle all your faults because of your pure blood. But I won't. Back off." Pansy took another step back even as Bella turned and headed back to Hermione's side. Draco snorted at Pansy's face.

"You should know better Pansy." He told her calmly. "Bella isn't exactly like us."

"I don't see how she could be a Slytherin." Pansy hissed. Draco glared at her, standing between Pansy and Bella.

"Be careful Pansy. You know what I do to anyone who insults my sister." Pansy paled then. Oh yes, Draco had ways of getting revenge that made her skin crawl.

Bella reached out and touched Draco's shoulder. Draco turned and smiled at her just as Madam Hooch came out. She choose a broom next to Hermione. To her surprise Harry Potter was right across from her. She still didn't know how he felt about having Malfoy's sister sticking up for him.

Everything went fine as they continued with their lesson. Bella was very pleased when the broom immediately jumped into her hand. She had to giggle when Madam Hooch corrected Draco's grip. She'd tried telling him he had been doing it wrong but he never listened.

Then poor Longbottom shot into the air like a cork and fell. Madam Hooch left for the hospital wing with him.

Draco spotted Longbottom's Rememberall then and picked it up, laughing at the unfortunate boy.

"Give it here Malfoy." Bella bit her lip as Harry Potter stepped forward. Draco's eyes glittered with malice. _Here he goes again. _Bella thought fondly and irritably.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find--how about--up a tree."

"Give it here!" Harry yelled. Draco just smiled and jumped onto his broom. He flew well, and he knew it. He had reason to brag. Bella's face grew worried as Harry took hold of his own broom.

"Oh please don't!" She spoke up. "You'll get everyone into trouble. Both of you." She added, flinging a glare at her brother. Draco just waved the Rememberall tauntingly. Harry jumped onto his broom and shot into the air. Bella blinked at the two boys then shook her head. "Draco! Mr. Potter! Get back down here!" She yelled but was ignored.

_Oh great. There he goes again. Why Draco? Why don't you just let it go? It's your own fault really for being such a prat when you first met him. _Bella sighed heavily again and mounted her own broom, quietly, just in case anything went wrong. _Draco... _Bella's stomach seemed to drop right out of her toes when Harry charged Draco and Draco only barely managed to get out of the way. It was astonishing though. Harry flew through the air like he'd been born on a broom. _Natural talent I guess. _She thought as she continued to watch them.

Draco threw the glass ball high into the air and sped towards Bella, grasping her arm and bringing her down. Bella let out a small yelp but not because of Draco. Harry had sped after the ball and now was diving, racing it even, he was getting to close to ground, he was going to crash--!

He caught the Rememberall with ease and tumbled gently onto the grass.

"He's amazing!" Bella couldn't help herself. That was the best thing she'd ever seen anyone their age do on a broomstick. Draco scowled as Harry returned to the group amid cheers and renewed clapping.

"HARRY POTTER!" Draco sneered as McGonagall hurried onto the grass, her face one of pure fury. He chuckled as she began scolding Potter. Bella watched with dismay as McGonagall ignored the pleading of Harry's fellow Gryffindors and led the boy back inside. Once they were out of sight Bella whirled on Draco.

"Draco Malfoy you--you--!" She felt her face flushed with anger at her big brother. Draco saw the sparkles of fury in her silver eyes and took a step back. Bella had proven over the years that once angry she wasn't above hitting her own brother. "How can you be such a jerk!" She asked, her arms trembling as she fought to control herself. "I can usually put up with it but this time you went too far! If Mr. Potter gets expelled it'll be all your fault! And don't think I wont tell our mother's about this!" Bella spun on her heels before Draco could muster up a proper response.

"What's got her all in a bunch?" Ron asked looking dumbly surprised. "She's a Slytherin. Why is she defending Harry?"

"Oh shut up Weasley!" Draco was grateful Ron was such a dimwitted arse. It gave him something to focus his anger on. "If I hear one more insult come from your stupid face I'll hex you into Oblivion!" Draco whirled around then too, hurrying towards the castle. Bella could be anywhere in the blasted castle! Oh well, he'd pissed her off and so he'd have to search every room until he could make it up to her again. He knew it cost his little sister a lot to put up with his bigotry and prejudices and plain rich boy attitude. He knew that. He just couldn't help how he expressed it. Taunting Potter was so easy. He was a real Gryffindor all right. It would get him in a lot of sticky spots later on in life. But then again, Bella's need to help others was bound to get her hurt as well.

"Just tell me why I can't seem to do anything right by her lately?" Draco whined as he paused on the second floor landing.

"The best way to soothe a heart is by apologizing you know." A portrait of a dumpy little witch told him in a sweet tone. Draco glared at her then sighed and nodded.

"Right. Apologize." Draco snorted as he began his searching again. "Merlin knows I've done that plenty enough." _And Merlin knows that she'll always forgive me if I'm sincere enough. _Draco smiled as he found Bella finally in an unused classroom. _You know you're the only one who I'll ever beg to forgive me. _He thought with a small smile before he pushed that away.

"What is it Draco?" She asked, toying with her little musical charm. Draco went over and sat in front of her.

"I'm sorry." He said softly, in a tone of voice he'd never use in front of anyone but her. Bella's bottom lip shook as she stared into his eyes. Draco knew she was searching for sincerity and he knew she'd find it. Because he was sorry. Not for what he'd done. But for upsetting her. Bella also knew that.

"...I forgive you. I just wish you'd stop doing such hurtful things Draco." She grabbed her brother's hand and shook it three times. "I want everyone to see how great my big brother is."

"....Look Bella you know I won't promise to stop being a jerk. It's what I do. It's how I protect myself and you. You know that." Draco paused as he pat her head. "But if it'll make you feel better, I promise not to do anything to intentionally hurt someone. I know Potter could have fallen off his broom and hurt himself. So I'll try not to bait him...too much." He amended. Bella couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled from her chest.

"All right. That's all I can ask for. You'll have this vendetta against Potter until the day you die won't you?"

"Yes. Now come on. We've got a while before dinner. Let's go visit Ptolemy and Zephyr." Bella nodded, following her brother out of the classroom and up to the Owlery.

----------

"Well see he wasn't expelled." Draco said as they entered the Great Hall. Bella looked over and nodded, sighing with relief. "He looks pretty happy though."

"Leave him alone Draco. You've caused enough damage today." Bella warned, sounding every bit the Slytherin Ron had accused her of being. Draco gulped. Bella's accidental magic was also known for making an appearance when seriously displeased. He remembered vividly the time when some man had insulted Mireya and Bella had flung him through two stone walls and into a river. She'd passed out for two days after that but she had still done it. And she'd only been five at that time.

"I'm going to go ask Hermione something." Bella said suddenly. Draco blinked.

"What? Go over _there_? With the _Gryffindors_?" Draco gaped at his sister. "No way. Not without me."

Bella sighed but nodded and got up to walk over to Hermione. Draco motioned for Crabbe and Goyle to follow him. If Weasley said one more thing about his sister--he didn't care if the head table was full--he'd beat his face into a pulp.

"Bella! There you are!" Hermione gasped, grabbing Bella's hand and pulling her into an empty seat beside her. "Are you all right? You looked so very angry when you left!"

"I was. But Draco apologized." Bella laughed at Hermione's surprised look. "He can do that...to me at least. I'm the only one he apologizes to because he wants to and not because he has to."

Hermione couldn't process that for a moment. Then she said slowly, "He must really care about you a lot."

The Slytherin girl smiled warmly. "He's a good big brother. He's always known how to make me feel better and how to keep me safe from everyone. He bullied the bullies so they'd leave me alone. And he hardly let's me wander off on my own. I mean he's right over there now." She turned and found herself sighing heavily. "Of course I know enough about my brother to know he's no saint. What exactly is he doing now?" She asked. Hermione frowned and the two girl's remained quiet enough to catch the words "wizard's duel". Bella allowed herself an undignified moment and her head met the table with a loud thunk.

Draco was at her side in a second. "What's wrong Bella?" Bella gave him a look reminiscent of Narcissa and Draco gulped.

"I'll see you later Hermione." She said as she dragged Draco by his sleeve back over to the Slytherin table.

---------

Bella was furious. Absolutely furious! She was close to asking Severus for a way to knock some sense into her brother's skull. What was there to be gained by having someone expelled!? Where did Draco win!? He'd never be as popular as Potter was no matter what he tried. And it was starting to drive her insane. They'd barely been at school a month! Argh! He was trying to give her ulcers wasn't he? Grr....

So here she was, after having threatened Goyle so throughly that he told her what Draco had done. She waited in the trophy room, her arms crossed. If she got in trouble, fine! It would be her first offense. If she prevented someone else from suffering then fine as well. If Draco disowned her and never spoke to her again...well she'd figure out what to do about that when she came to it.

Finally she heard shuffling and whispers. "Please, don't panic." She whispered, coming out of her hiding place to find not only Harry and Ron, but also Hermione and Longbottom.

"Bella!" Hermione gasped.

"Listen, you have to leave!" Bella pleaded with them. "I'm sorry Mr. Potter, Draco tricked you. Goyle told me everything he said at dinner and then what they did before coming to our common room. He's told Filch. He'll be here any moment. You have to go." Harry blinked at Malfoy's sister. He opened his mouth to ask why she cared when suddenly they heard another voice and more shuffling. It was Filch. Bella's face grew even paler and she steeled herself for what she was going to do. "Go!" She mouthed at the Gryffindors. "I'll distract him!"

Harry took only a split second to decide. He decided that Bella Malfoy was not Draco Malfoy and that if he left her here he'd be no better than Malfoy.

He took her hand and motioned for the others to follow. They'd barely left the trophy room when they heard Filch enter it. Longbottom suddenly bolted forward. He crashed into Ron and they knocked over a suit of armor. The sound was so deafening that Bella couldn't help put her free hand to her ear. "Run!" Harry yelled, leading the way.

Bella shut her eyes and just let him lead. She didn't know where they were going but as long as it was far from Filch and that horrible cat then she was fine with it. She reminded herself to order Calixto to bit her some day. If she managed not to get expelled for this.

Explusion looked more and more certain as they met with Peeves. Ron the idiot took a swipe at the poltergist and he sent up the alarm. Hermione opened a locked door and they all piled inside. They listened to Peeves and Filch outside, and once they heard Peeves and Filch go away Bella finally allowed herself to relax.

"Get _off_ Neville!" Harry said. "What?" Harry turned and saw what for himself. Bella stared as well, her eyes wide and round.

A giant three-headed beast was staring right down at them with three sets of eyes, mouths filled with fangs, giant paws with large claws...

Harry grasped the doorknob and opened the door, flinging it shut just as the monster lunged. He grabbed Bella's hand again and together they all rushed back up to the seventh floor.

"Where on earth have you all been?" Asked the Fat Lady.

"Never mind that--pig snout, pig snout." The Fat Lady swung forward and they all scrambled inside.

As they collapsed into armchairs Harry finally let the hand he was holding drop.

"Harry!" Harry turned and saw Hermione giving him a surprised look.

"What?"

"You've brought Bella all the way up here!" Harry realized then that he had indeed dragged Bella Malfoy into the Gryffindor common room. She was clutching at her side, her breathing ragged. However when she looked up at him, she smiled.

"It's all right. I won't tell. I promise." Bella panted between sharp breaths.

"And how do we know that!" Ron said jabbing his finger at her. "How do we know you're not in cahoots with your brother and this was all part of the plan?"

"Do you think getting nearly eaten by the thing in the third floor corridor was part of my plan!" Bella couldn't help it. She was too emotional charged by their little romp tonight that she couldn't hold back from hissing angrily at the Weasley.

"Really!" Hermione growled, pulling Bella towards her. "She was trying to get us away from Filch! She was even going to distract him for us! And you still accuse her of such things!"

"Yeah Ron." Harry said, turning to face Bella. "Thanks Bella." He said. Bella blinked twice before she gave him a happy grin.

"Did anyone else see what that--that dog was standing on?" Bella suddenly questioned.

"It was standing on something?"

"A trapdoor." Hermione said. "It's obviously guarding something." Hermione suddenly became ruffled again. "Well I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could have all been killed--or worse, expelled. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed." She huffed and grabbed Bella's hand. "Come on Bella, you can't go wandering the castle anymore tonight. You can share my bed."

"Thanks Hermione, you're one in a million." Bella said as she followed the other girl into the girl's dormitory. She cast a quick look over her shoulder to find the boys were gaping at them. She mentally giggled. Gryffindors were a funny lot to be sure.

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**_And there you have chappy 5! I hope you found it to your liking. Hugs for all!_**


	6. Malfoy Trust

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo)_**

**_Yay! I love this story! I love love love it! And you all seem to love it too! Hooray! Hehe, thanks for the reviews and for reading and adding this to your Story Alerts and Favorties list! As always everything I haven't made up is totally J.K. Rowling's. But everything else is mine mine mine! Wheee! On with the program!_**

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**_Part One_**

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**_Chapter Six: Malfoy Trust_**

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Bella was resolutely not speaking to her brother. Draco had seen her come in with Hermione and stolen her back immediately. She'd been given the scolding of her life in hushed whispers and then she'd scolded Draco right back. After that she'd shut up and not said a word to him. Draco was scowling daggers at the Gryffindors, as if this was somehow their fault.

She knew she ought not blame him for being himself, but she'd thought he'd at least wait a month before causing more problems. Honestly her brother could be such an idiot. Still, after a week of unforgiving silence she relented and had hugged her brother and kissed his cheek. He'd promised to not do anything stupid for a while and they'd moved on. Bella could never really stay angry at Draco for very long. It was too much of a torture for both of them.

The weeks flew past quietly enough after that.

Bella would meet with Hermione every day and had even been invited to the Gryffindor common room twice since that first night. At first the other Gryffindors found it odd but Bella was kind and polite to all of them, never sending any barbs or insults. She ignored Ron Weasley's glares and mistrustful looks. If he hadn't gotten it through his thick head yet that she wasn't a sneaking Slytherin then she wasn't going to waste energy trying to force him to understand.

Harry Potter was much more understanding. He seemed more observant than anyone gave him credit for. He had even thanked her for sticking up for him in Potions. Bella had grinned once more and told him that she was glad she could help.

All in all everything was going great. Until Halloween came around and she heard from Parvati Patil that Ron had been very mean and Hermione was now hiding out in the girl's bathroom.

"Oh leave her be." Draco said, trying to tug his sister into the Great Hall for the Halloween feast. Bella shook her head.

"I'm the only friend she has Draco." She pleaded with her eyes for her brother to understand. After a few seconds he sighed and let her go.

Bella hurried up to the girl's bathroom and entered it softly. She heard sniffles and little gasps of breath. "Hermione?"

"B-Bella?" Her voice came from the last stall. Bella went and leaned against the wall opposite from the stall. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Parvati told me you were in here." Bella tipped her head to the side. "What's wrong Hermione? How can I help?"

A watery chuckle followed by the sound of a nose being blown came from the stall. "Nothing. Not unless you can convince everyone I'm not really a nightmare."

"Who said you were?"

"Ron Weasley. But he's not the only one who thinks I'm just a bossy know-it-all." More sniffles followed by a few more gasps came. Bella sighed noisily.

"Hermione, I know you're not just a bossy know-it-all." Bella walked over and put her hand on the stall handle. "I know you're a very good and loyal friend. And when most others shun me for being a Slytherin or a Malfoy, you're always there to remind me there are plenty of idiots in the world that we should ignore." Bella paused then added, "And Ron Weasley's one of them."

Hermione chuckled and blew her nose again. Bella let silence descend upon them, staring out a window to see bits of stars and a yellow full moon.

"Yes, Ron Weasley is a very big jerk sometimes isn't he?" Hermione asked, finally coming out of the stall. Bella beamed as she hugged her friend, not caring for the tears that fell onto her shoulder.

"But we're better than what they think. You're so very clever. Even Draco can't deny that." Hermione chuckled again, pulling away to wipe at her eyes.

"Thanks Bella. You're the best." Hermione mumbled. Bella beamed and shook her head.

"Come on, let's get to the feast. If you want...you can even sit with me at the Slytherin table today. We'll sit right at the end so that no one will bother us."

Hermione thought about it then smiled. "That sounds very nice. I don't think I could--" Bella blinked as Hermione's eyes widened in shock and fear. Holding onto Hermione's arm she turned slowly.

The two girls screamed as they realized someone had just slammed the door shut and left them with a twelve-foot mountain troll.

Hermione fell back against the wall, clutching at Bella's arm, trying to pull her along. But Bella stood rooted to the spot. Everything she'd ever learned about trolls was rushing into her mind and she couldn't move, paralyzed as she was with the information.

Suddenly Harry and Ron were there. Ron was tossing pieces of the destroyed sinks and Harry had rushed over to them, trying to get them to run. Hermione was paralyzed with fear while Bella was trying to remember what spells could be used to stop a troll from attacking.

Harry saw the troll start for Ron then and he hurried forward and jumped, his wand lodging in the troll's nose. The creatures howls jolted Bella into action. She swished her wand and pieces of debris hit the troll right in it's gut. The troll snarled but just then Ron pulled out his wand and shouted, "Wingardium Leviosa!" The trolls club flew high into the air and landed with a crunch on it's head.

They all watched as the troll fell forward. Harry climbed off its back and pulled his wand out of it's nose. He wiped it clean just as the door slammed open and McGonagll, Quirrell, and Severus all entered.

One look at Severus's face told Bella she was in for a very long lecture.

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"Bella Luciana!" Bella snapped to attention the following morning. She and Hermione were sitting at the Gryffindor table opposite Ron and Harry. Ron had blushed but told her thanks for helping him distract the troll and that he'd try not to let her last name make him think less of her. Not exactly in so many words but Bella had gotten the gist. Now the three Gryffindors along with most of the Great Hall, were staring at the witch in her Muggle jeans and pretty sweater, her long black hair tied up in a messy bun, her brown eyes wide.

"Mama!" Bella hopped off her seat and ran to embrace the woman. Mireya squished her tightly then grabbed her shoulders and shook her playfully.

"_Bella por que haces coses tan locas! Peleando con un_ troll? _Tienes once anos! Por que no te fuiste con Draco al_ common room_?" _

"Er...what?" Ron asked as Bella smiled brightly even as her mother squished her once again.

"Mama was just scolding me for fighting when I'm eleven years old and then she asked why I didn't go with Draco to the common room." Bella translated for him. Then she pushed her mom back and sighed. "Mama, I was in the bathroom with Hermione. We didn't hear about the troll. We didn't know it was in the castle until it wandered into the bathroom. I didn't _want_ to fight with a mountain troll I just _had_ to." Bella rolled her eyes then. "If Severus would have let me explain instead of grounding me for a month and then running to you..." Bella rolled her eyes again as Mireya started laughing.

"Well you know Severus, he thinks of you and Draco as his own, so he tends to overreact."

"You all tend to overreact. I'm not _that_ fragile Mama." Bella whined.

Then she jumped and turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Everyone this is my mother, Mireya Diaz, a Healer at St. Mungo's. Mama, they were with me last night and helped me and Hermione with the troll. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley and Harry Potter." Mireya's eyes widened at Harry's name. Surprisingly her eyes didn't flicker up to his scar. Instead they met his emerald gaze with a warm smile.

"Harry Potter..." Mireya smiled. "You look just like James." Harry jumped.

"Did you...know my dad?" Harry asked, his heart began racing.

"Yes. When I moved here I was put under Dumbledore's protection...and he introduced me to James and Lily. I liked them very much. They were wonderful people." Mireya bit her lip then pulled out a little wallet and flipped it open. She pulled a picture from on of the holdings and handed it to Harry. James and Lily stood side by side, a very tiny Harry on James's hip. Harry stared at the Muggle photo of his parents. As he tried to hand it back Mireya shook her head and closed his fingers over it.

"That's yours Harry." Mireya smiled warmly at him and then lurched forward a little as Draco latched onto her. Mireya knew that pout and laughed brightly, the sound sweet and loving.

"Tia Reya..." Draco whined. Bella giggled along with her Gryffindor friends as Mireya began cuddling Draco who didn't seem to care for once who saw him asking for attention. Bella looked out the corner of her eye and saw Harry and holding the small photo tightly, his eyes dancing.

The bell rang and Mireya kissed Draco and Bella's cheeks, made them promise to stay out of trouble, then shook hands with Ron, Hermione and Harry. On Harry she lingered for a moment. Then she squeezed his hand and followed Draco and Bella to their first class. Harry stood there for a moment, then smiled brilliantly as Ron and Hermione reminded him they had Herbology.

He wondered if that was why Bella had stood up for him so much. Had her mother told her stories about the Potters? Good stories, not the stuff everyone seemed to know. He'd have to ask her later.

-------------------------------------

As Bella hurried towards Hagrid's hut, with Draco puffing out, "Bloody Potter's fine! You don't need to see him!" she had to wonder if the boy was cursed. So far he'd run into a giant three-headed dog, fought a troll, and now he'd nearly gotten bucked off his broom.

She knocked on Hagrid's door and slipped in the moment it began to open. "Harry! Are you all right!" She asked, leaning on the table to catch her breath.

Harry looked up in shock at Bella and then Draco who was leaning against the front door.

"Yeah I'm all right." Ron looked distrustful yet again which made Draco snarl at him. Hermione was contemplating Bella.

"What happened? Do you know?" Bella asked once she'd caught more of her breath.

"Yes. But uh...perhaps we shouldn't...I mean you won't like what..." Hermione stuttering was not a good thing, Bella decided as she looked the other girl square in the eyes.

"Hermione." Bella said softly. Hermione reached over to grab her hands tightly.

"It was Snape. He was jinxing Harry's broom." Bella stared at her for five long seconds.

"No...forgive me Hermione but you have to be wrong..." Bella whispered. Hermione squeezed her hands sympathetically. "I _saw_ him Bella. He was staring up at Harry and his lips were moving and he wasn't blinking. I've read about jinxes and--"

"You're bloody mental Granger!" Draco shouted now, pulling Bella away from the Muggleborn with loathing in his eyes. "Sure Severus hates Potter's guts but even he wouldn't try killing him!"

"But he wasn't blinking!"

"Shut up!" Draco roared, flinging Hagrid's door open and holding Bella's hand tightly. "Severus wasn't jinxing Potter's stupid broom!" Draco yanked on Bella's arm and the girl managed to snap out of it long enough to look back once to find Harry, Ron, Hermione and Hagrid watching her. She shook her head.

She could handle House rivalry, she could handle the unpleasant words Ron sometimes let slip whenever Draco was mentioned, she could handle the lack of trust. But to accuse Severus, the only father she'd ever had, of trying to kill Harry... That was the line no one could cross.

Still, her heart was heavy as the Malfoys entered the castle. "Let's not tell Severus." Bella whispered softly. Draco scoffed and snarled. "Draco, please."

"Oh all right fine! I won't tell Severus. Now come on, let's call Beezle and have him get us some hot chocolate."

Bella nodded, allowing Draco to led her into the common room then into his dorm. Their friends left them alone.

Draco had to snarl quietly, when fifteen minutes later, Bella sat at the enchanted window and stared out at the lake, her eyes far away. He knew those bloody Gryffindor idiots would only end up hurting his little sister. He'd known that.

"Bella, promise me you won't try to talk to them anymore." Draco said. "They're stupid and prejudiced and they won't believe anything you say. Not after Potter nearly got killed."

"Do you really think they won't believe me anymore?"

"Yes. They're idiots. Severus jinxing a kid's broom! Mental!" He hugged his sister tightly then, his platinum blonde strands mixing with her midnight black ones. Mireya had once said they were the perfect picture of a devil and angel. draco felt his lips curl into a malicious smile. Yes, he was a devil. He'd show those Gryffindors what happened when you hurt someone dear to Draco Malfoy.

"All right Draco. I won't try to talk to them anymore. I don't think they'll want to talk to me anymore either way." Bella said, sighing deeply as her brother continued to hug her.

"Don't worry Bella. I'll always take care of you." Draco promised. Bella nodded, taking a sip of her chocolate as Draco started going on about some random homework assignment. She smiled when she caught his eye. He smiled back. Draco was always doing his best to keep her happy and safe from all types of pain. She felt she was very blessed.

-----------------------------------

Draco kept a very close eye on Bella for the next few weeks. He had also told Crabbe and Goyle that they were to keep the Gryffindors away from Bella. Crabbe and Goyle of course, did this with great enthusiasm. Whenever they passed the Gryffindor trio in the halls, the two would form a wall between Bella and them. Whenever Hermione tried to approach Bella during a class, Crabbe and Goyle would taunt her and tell her Bella didn't have time for know-it-alls. Bella remained quiet, following Draco's orders obediently. He didn't want her getting hurt by them any more. He would protect her with any means necessary.

Ron saw Bella's submissive behavior, and her lack of preventing the Slytherins from picking on them, as proof that she was a true Slytherin at heart. He got away with this for about two weeks until at the beginning of December Hermione finally snapped.

"Shut up Ron!" She said at dinner, her eyes flashing. "You don't know anything do you? All you see when you see Bella is a Malfoy!"

"Cuz that's what she is!" Ron fought back. Hermione fumed then dug around in her bookbag and pulled out an old _Daily Prophet_ clipping. It was dated May 15th, four years ago. She threw it across the table at Ron who picked it up. Harry leaned over and the two of them read it.

_Today while out on an outing, Narcissa Black and Mireya Diaz, the Mistresses of Black Manor and founders of the notable Tomas Marvillo Charity, were attacked by Lucius Malfoy of Wiltshire. During the commotion the Mistresses' children, six year olds Draco and Bella Malfoy, were taken and held captive by some co-conspirators of Lucius Malfoy's. As everyone knows, Narcissa Black was once married to Lucius Malfoy, from which young Draco Malfoy was concieved. At the same time however Lucius Malfoy was having an affair with a young Spanish witch--Mireya Diaz--who gave birth to their daughter Bella two months after Draco was born. _

_Narcissa Black separated from her husband after discovering he was being unfaithful, not only with Miss Diaz but with many others. Outraged she filed for divorce, offered Miss Diaz a home and then filed the correct paperwork to give sole custody of the children to their mothers. Lucius Malfoy has not been allowed contact with his children at all during the years. _

_It is believed he had taken them and could quite possibly harm them or is planning on taking them out of the country. The Minister of Magic himself has seen to it to make this his first priority. We shall keep everyone updated. _

Harry and Ron blinked at the article. Ron shook his head as Hermione took the clipping back.

"The Department of Magical Law Enforcement found them two weeks later in Romania." Hermione said quietly. "Mr. Malfoy had taken them out of the country. He took them to Italy. He had tried to erase their memories but Malfoy and Bella's accidental magic had spiked and they'd thrown him out of the window of the room he'd been holding them in. Malfoy had managed to pull Bella out of the room and they'd run for a long time. Lucius went after them of course but Bella says she and Malfoy preformed more accidental magic and somehow had found themselves running around in woods instead of the streets of Italy. They were in the woods for days. Bella only had Malfoy to take care of her. He finally managed to get them to a farm house where the Muggles called the authorites who took them into the city. They waited there until the wizards took them into custody and then brought them back here to England."

Silence met her words then Ron shook his head again. "But what's that got to do with what's going on now?" Hermione rolled her eyes exasperated.

"Hermione's saying that when people hurt Bella, Malfoy does everything to protect his sister and she does whatever he says." Harry said softly. Hermione smiled at him, giving an encouraging nod. "I can't say I wouldn't do the same. Imagine Ron. Being lost in the woods for days, right after your own dad takes you from your mum? And they were what, barely seven years old? That's got to scar you." Harry looked over at Bella and Draco then. Draco was laughing as Bella recounted some story to their Slytherin friends. Still, Draco's wand was on the table, next to his hand, ready to be used to curse people.

"Exactly Harry. Exactly. Bella told me all this a few weeks after we started being friends. She told me that ever since that happened, she's never doubted Malfoy once. Yes they've had rows like all siblings, but whenever it comes to Malfoy telling her something might be bad for her, she listens to him. He's never let anything get away with hurting her after those two weeks. Just last year his magic spiked and he sent a kid into the Black Lake because they were making fun of Bella for crying when she fell and skinned her elbow." Hermione bowed her head then. "Malfoy must have felt we were trying to hurt Bella when we told her about Snape. He's their godfather you know, and Bella told me he's been with them ever since she can remember."

The trio sat at the table each lost in their own thoughts. Then Harry's face set with determination. "We have to apologize to her. Malfoy probably tells her that we said that on purpose. He hates us that much after all." Hermione and Ron nodded. Ron looked even more perturbed than either Harry or Hermione.

"I never knew all those details before." Ron said. "I just remember Mum going on about the Malfoys kids for a while back when I was younger."

"What happened to their dad anyway?" Harry asked Hermione now.

"He was tried in Italy and then here in England. They sent him to Azkaban."

"Azkaban?"

"The Wizard's prison." Ron chimed in. "It's north of the North Sea."

Harry wondered as he looked back at Bella how she could manage to trust people after something like that. Then he winced as he realized them accusing her godfather of trying to kill Harry must have beaten if not killed any trust she had in them. He really, really wanted to apologize.

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It wasn't until the Christmas holidays began that Harry got his chance. Bella and Malfoy had gone to Black Manor for the holidays along with Snape. But as Harry entered the Great Hall for breakfast the day before Christmas Eve it was to find Bella there, dressed in Muggle clothes, with her mother. Flitwick was talking with Mireya cheerfully while Bella went around from tree to tree and added a sparkling ornament from the box.

"Bella!" Harry called and Bella froze. Turning she spotted Ron and Harry hurrrying towards her. She blinked at them as they grinned at her. "What're you doing?" Harry asked.

"Putting a special decoration on each tree." Bella replied softly. "It's a tradition Mama started when we used to live here, back when I was a little baby still in diapers." She giggled. "Mama doesn't like perfection. So she's always found weird little decorations for all the trees. These were made by some of Mama's friends. Look, this one has Santa on a broomstick." She held up the ornament and Ron and Harry peered into the clear glass globe to find Santa was indeed on a broomstick, with a sack of presents that he kept dropping into the little houses below him.

"Cool." Harry then sighed. "Look Bella...we're sorry." Bella blinked at him again. "We didn't mean to make you upset or hurt your feelings. Hermione and Ron are sure Snape was doing something though. I'm not saying he was jinxing my broom or not, I'm just saying Hermione wouldn't lie."

"I know that." Bella told him. Harry chanced looking up at her and she smiled happily now. "I'm sorry too, for letting the Slytherins taunt you all. But Draco felt it was for the best...and I trust my big brother very much."

"Yeah we know. Hermione told us what happened to you as kids. We didn't know Bella." Harry looked at her earnestly. Bella blushed but nodded.

"I know that too. I didn't want anyone knowing it. Most of the kids here were too young to care about that when it happened. Most have forgotten except for the bits their parents have gossiped about." Bella sat at one of the tables and rummaged in the box for another decoration. "But you can understand why I would favor my brother over my friends right?"

"Right." Harry and Ron sat down as well. Bella beamed at them then.

"You know..." She fiddled with a gingerbread man shaped ornament, who danced as he hung in midair. "I never had friends until I came here. I didn't trust anyone enough. The pureblood kids who came with their parents to parties, they paid more attention to Draco. And everyone else was either too pushy or too annoying or Draco said they weren't nice and made them leave me alone. I was glad when I came here and found out I could have friends like you two and Hermione." Bella got up and hung the dancing gingerbread man on a tree with hooting owls. She tugged on her cashmere sweater then whirled around and smiled timidly. "Would you be my friends again?"

"Of course." Harry replied without missing a beat.

"Yeah." Ron said, grinning at Bella for the first time without some malice in his eyes. "Having two smart witches around will make homework loads easier."

Bella laughed then, and shook her head, launching into a lecture about how she was not going to condone cheating. She even let Harry and Ron pick an ornament and put it on whatever tree they liked. They sat and chatted for a long while until Mireya appeared at Bella's shoulder.

"Sorry boys but we have to get going. Mija, Cissa's party is going to start in two hours! We need to go get ready."

"Okay Mama!" Bella beamed at both boys as she waved goodbye. "Feliz Navidad! See you later!"

"Bye!" They called then turned grinning to each other. It felt good to be friends with Bella Malfoy again.

----------

"I'd call you mental but I like my head on my neck." Draco said later that evening, as he and Bella stood side by side greeting the party guests. They'd volunteered for this job, considering most of the guests were snobbish and some were already half-drunk from another party.

Bella just laughed and shook her head at her brother as a blading man with beady eyes and a slightly pinched face walked up to them. Draco cast him a sneer and then man chuckled. "I am looking for Mistresses Black and Diaz."

"What do you want with our mothers?" Draco asked. He'd never seen this man before. Judging from Bella's narrowed gaze neither had she. The man's eyes lit up.

"Ahhh, you are Master and Miss Malfoy?" The man asked. Draco nodded, taking a step left so that he partial blocked Bella. "Well young Master, I am Reginald Calmouth, and I am in charge of all the Malfoy estates and vaults. I have discovered something I did not notice before, an amendment if you will." Draco and Bella shared a look. Then Draco pointed to a chair.

"Wait there. We'll go get our mothers." Calmouth sat in the chair and cheerfully crossed his ankles, leaned back, and prepared himself to wait. Draco cast him a long look before pulling Bella along into the ballroom on the first floor. People from all over were enjoying the music, the dancing, the entertainment provided by acrobats and snake charmers and all sorts. On top of a dais Narcissa sat looking absolutely immaculate in a silvery-blue robe, her beautiful blonde hair wrapped up imperially on her head. Next to her Mireya sat in silver as well, with touches black along the cuffs and hem. Severus was in his black as always, but these were of a more expensive fabric than his professor robes. He spotted Bella and Draco first.

"Yes dears?" Narcissa asked now. Draco nodded towards the entrance hall. "Is there a gate crasher who won't go away?"

"No. There's a man out there saying he found an amendment of sorts that has to do with the Malfoy estates and vaults." The three adults shared a look then Narcissa rose and gently pushed Mireya down into her chair.

"You and Severus stay here with the children Mireya. I'll take care of this man. Where is he Draco?"

"I told him to wait in the entrance hall."

"Did he give you a name?"

"Reginald Calmouth." Bella answered. Draco nodded. Narcissa pat their heads then smoothly disappeared into the crowd.

"Well then, let's have some eggnog while we wait hm?" Mireya said. The children nodded enthusiastically and settled into chairs. Mireya and Severus kept them entertained with stories from their school days while they all waited for Narcissa to return.

----------

Narcissa had led Reginald to the study across from the ballroom. The man settled into the seat across from the desk which Narcissa now sat behind.

"Forgive me Mistress Black, for intruding on your ball."

"You will be forgiven if this amendment you speak of is worth the interruption." Narcissa replied coolly. The man seemed unfazed. Obviously he had lots of practice with ignoring tones and looks. He dug around in his suitcase and pulled out a small stack of papers. Narcissa spread them out on the desk, her eyes skimming all of them, focusing on the little notes stuck to the papers. Once she was done she stared at Mr. Calmouth with less hostility in her eyes.

"As you can see milady, this was revised a year after Lord Malfoy was sent to Azkaban by Malfoy living in America, to whom all control passed to. He revised it however, so that if anything were to happen to him, the Malfoy assets--all of them--would be legally given to the children of Lucius Malfoy. Meaning Bella and Draco Malfoy."

"What happened to this Malfoy?" She asked, pointing at a picture of the man who'd taken control of all the Malfoy things.

"Mister Caspian Malfoy was found to be involved in some less than honorable dealings in Brazil. He felt he was in danger, being a well known name and wealth, so he sighed over all control to Draco and Bella. I did not know about these until my American partner contacted me last month. We've been working together to ensure it is all legal and binding. All they must do is go to Gringotts and sign the official document currently being held there. Once they have signed and offered a blood sample, everything pertaining to the Malfoys will rightfully belong to them. Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire along with many of the smaller estates, and all the vaults in England, Switzerland, Austria, the Canary Islands, Italy, Australia, and Japan."

"Well Mister Calmouth, thank you for informing us of this." Narcissa finally said. "I will have to discuss it throughly with Mireya and the children of course."

"Of course. If you have need of me, please feel free to owl me at any time. I have taken the liberty however of informing Gringotts to keep that document at the ready." Narcissa nodded and the lawyer bowed then showed himself out. Narcissa sat there for ten seconds then rose and went back to the party.

"Cissa? What did the man want?" Mireya asked as soon as she sat down. Draco and Bella had been roped into a game of Exploding Snap. Narcissa saw Severus incline his head towards them even as his onyx eyes stayed on the children then began to tell them everything.

-----------------------------------

A week later they were in the marble hall of Gringotts, watching as the goblin explained what the children must do to prove themselves Malfoy heirs. Draco had to admit, after what that bastard had done to them, it felt really good signing his name and placing a drop of blood beside it. The blood shone gold--which was what the goblins had said had to happen--then it seeped into the ink and made his name shine bloody red under the lights of Gringotts.

"Master Draco Malfoy is accepted as Master of all the Malfoy assets." The goblin said, turning to Bella then and handing her the quill.

Bella wrote her name daintily under Draco's, stabbed her finger with the sharp point, then let a drop of blood fall onto the page. It too glowed golden before seeping into the ink and making it glitter.

"Mistress Bella Malfoy is accepted as Mistress of all the Malfoy assets as well." The goblin took the document, cast several spells on it, then rolled it up, placed it in a golden tube, and handed it off to his assistant who headed off to store it in a heavily guarded vault. "Do the young masters wish to see the Malfoy vault?" Bella and Draco turned to their mothers and Severus.

"Well it really is up to you two." Mireya said, ruffling Bella's hair. "You're the Malfoys, not us."

"Yes Draco. From now on you and Bella are free to dip into the Malfoy vault whenever you wish." Narcissa told him, smiling indulgently as she nodded towards the door leading to the vaults.

"We'd like to see it then." Draco told the goblin who nodded and led them to the cart.

The cart took them down, down, down, deep into the bowels of the bank, to the part of the bank where most of the old ancient families had their vaults. "Vault 753." The goblin finally said. Draco and Bella hopped out and the goblin ran two fingers down the door. That opened a small door which had a keyhole. The goblin pulled the golden key from his pocket and opened the vault. He handed the key to Narcissa who placed it in her robe pocket.

Draco and Bella looked around, eyeing the mountains of glittering gold and silver. It was extremely large and extremly wide. There was a set of stairs that led to a second floor in fact. On the second floor were gems and jewels and other such brilliant artifacts from their Malfoy ancestors.

Bella suddenly giggled and when Draco cast her a look she just grinned. "I bet none of those snooty Malfoys ever thought a halfblood would ever have control over any of this."

"Of course not. They were too stupid." Draco put an arm around his sister's shoulder and she did the same as they stood staring at everything. Then they picked out a few things, put them in their pockets and headed out, grinning and giggling.

-----------------------------------------

"An invisibility cloak?" Bella whispered as she sat with all her friends in the library. They'd happily filled her in on the Nicolas Flamel situation and Bella had promised to meet with them once she had a free moment. But the story of the invisiblity cloak and the Mirror of Erised had sidetracked her for a minute. "I've heard of those. I would die for one. To be able to go wherever I liked and nobody could see me? That'd be brilliant. I'm a little sad I didn't come to visit in time to sneak a glance at that mirror either. Oh well."

"So did you find out about Nicolas Flamel?" Ron asked eagerly. Bella nodded and pulled a book from her bookbag. She also pulled out a Famous Wizards card and handed it to Harry.

"That's probably where you read Flamel's name Harry." Harry looked at Dumbledore then at his achievements and gasped.

"See! I told you!" He said to the others.

"And I found this in Mama's library." She handed the book to Hermione who smacked her forehead.

"Oh of course!" Hermione exclaimed, flicking through the book excitedly now to the right page. "I got this book out of the library ages ago for a bit of light reading. I never thought to look in here." She beamed at Harry and Ron. "Nicolas Flamel is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone!"

"The what?" The boys said. Bella smiled at Hermione exasperated, "Honestly don't you two read?"

"The Sorcerer's Stone...it can make any metal into gold and from it can be made the Elixir of Life, which will let the drinker live, supposedly, forever." Bella said simply, as if reciting an old lesson.

"Look here, it says Flamel turned six hundred and sixty-five last year!" Hermione read to the boys. "His wife is six hundred and fifty-eight!"

"Wicked." Ron breathed.

"Don't you see? Fluffy must be guarding the Sorcerer's Stone. I bet Flamel asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him because he knew someone was trying to steal it."

"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying! No wonder--" The three suddenly froze and turned to Bella.

Bella tipped her head suddenly. "You told me you were searching for the man's name, but it sounds like you have an even bigger mystery than I thought." She spotted their faces then and smiled gently. "Is it a very special secret?"

"Well not really. I mean you already know about Fluffy--that's the three-headed dog. He's Hagrid's pet. We were trying to figure out what Fluffy was guarding. And with all the clues Hagrid's given us, it's got to be this stone!" Harry explained shaking his head. "See, we think, er, someone's trying to steal the stone. Someone bad." Bella's eyes grew round.

"That's terrible. We musn't let such a thing happen." She shook her head. "Please tell me if there's anything I can do to help." She told them with a brilliantly sweet smile.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione both felt bad. They knew it was Snape who was going after the Stone, and poor Bella was clueless. Still, they didn't want to hurt her feelings right now, not since they'd patched things up. So instead of revealing the sad truth, Harry nodded and beamed back.

"You can count on it Bella." Harry then decided to change the subject. "So what were you saying about some lawyer?" And Bella happily told them all about the fact that she was the first not pureblood to have been given acess to the Malfoy vault.

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**_Chapter Six et fini! Hehe! Sorry it's a little shorter than usual but hey! I'm practically done with first year! I'll probably wrap it up in another chapter or two. Ehehe I didn't mean to rush through it so fast but what can you do right? I just hope you keep enjoying it! Thank you! _**


	7. Dragons and Cryptic Centaurs

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

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**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) Hiya hiya hiya! Chappy 7 of Waga Routashi! Yay! I hope you like how it's going so far, of course I have much more in store! Year one will end next chapter and then after that will be Part Two which will start with year two! Yes Waga Routashi will have Year two. Thanks for adding Waga Routashi to your story alerts! It makes me wanna do the bunny hop! Hehe no not really but it does make me happy. So anyways, Harry Potter belongs to Ms. J.K. Rowling and I own everything else. Enjoy! _**

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**_Part One_**

**_--------------_**

**_Chapter Seven: Dragons and Cryptic Centaurs_**

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Bella felt happy as the cold winter faded into a soggy spring. Spring also filled Bella up with a renewed sense of life. As soon as the sun became warm enough she began walking outside without her shoes on. She just walked, on her own, while Draco flew on one of the school brooms over the Quidditch pitch. The grass was squishy and cool beneath her feet. She tipped her head back and stared at the cotton fluff clouds, spinning slightly, laughing when she tripped and landed on her bottom. It was a Saturday, and although they had enough homework to bury a house-elf under, it did not deter the Malfoy heirs from enjoying this heavenly day of spring.

"Bella?" Bella turned and found herself facing Harry who was goggling at her. Bella looked down at herself, wondering what was wrong. She was wearing grey shorts and a pretty pale green shirt that had golden filigree on it. Her hair was held back with an ornate silver clasp, with little wisps escaping. The rest of the Gryffindor team was also ogling her, and now Draco who had landed beside his sister. "Malfoy?" Harry asked now, eyeing the boy up and down. For someone who spouted the virtues of high class and pureblood, Draco was certainly a sight. He had on bleached jeans and a dark emerald shirt that had a silver skull motif on the right side, as well as regular sneakers. If Harry had seen him like this on the streets of London, he wouldn't have given him a second glance. He just seemed so _normal._

"What are you all staring at?" Draco finally snapped, putting a protective arm around his sister's shoulders. Harry let his eyes flicker from one to the other. They had Slytherin colors on and yet looked so Muggle Harry almost laughed. Almost. The shock won out the amusement.

"Nothing." Wood snapped finally. "Would you two kindly get off the pitch? We're here to train for the next match."

"Oh we're very sorry." Bella said before Draco could say something insulting. "We didn't know the pitch was booked. Come on Draco, let's let them practice."

"All right." Draco huffed, then stopped. "Where are your shoes Bella?" Bella blinked then started looking for the ballet flats. "Bella, why do you always loose your shoes?"

"They're just shoes Draco."

"Yes but what if something sharp was on the ground?"

"Then we'd go to Madam Pomfrey and she'd fix me up." Draco scowled and Bella laughed.

"Here they are." Harry said, picking them up and handing them to Bella who smiled at him. She used Draco as a crutch as she slipped them on, then she took her brother's hand.

"Thanks. Well we'll let you go now. See you at dinner Harry." Harry nodded and waved, watching them leave with something akin to wonder. Once again Draco proved he could be human, with his sister at least.

"That was weird." Wood finally said once the Malfoys had left the pitch.

"Yeah." The rest of the team agreed.

"I'd figured Malfoy for a right pompous brat." Fred Weasley said.

"I thought Bella was a little stuck up." Alicia Spinnet admitted.

"But right now..." George Weasley shook his head.

"Yeah."

Harry just smiled as Wood finally snapped them out of their daze and got them working.

---------

"Someday Bella, those Gryffindors are going to do something so stupid even you won't be able to stop me from rubbing their faces in it." Draco warned his sister as they played on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, under Hagrid's watchful eyes.

"I can't stop you from rubbing their faces into their mistakes _now_." Bella replied in a slightly chiding way. "So if the day comes when they do do something monumentally stupid, I won't be able to stop you either way." Draco beamed at her, startling Hagrid who'd been eyeing them while he shelled peas.

"True true, but I felt it would be nice to warn you at least." Bella giggled, her eyes rolling skyward for a moment. It had been a fun year, and a very long one. She was sad it was nearly over. She didn't want it to be. Besides...she had a bad feeling that nagged at the back of her mind. Something wasn't right. It was probably the Gryffindors fear that someone was trying to steal the Sorcerer's Stone. She'd told Draco about it and sworn him to utter secrecy. Draco hadn't spilled a word to anyone but he was intrigued as to who would try to steal it right under the Headmaster's nose. Draco might not like Dumbledore, but that didn't mean he didn't acknowledge the man's magical power.

"Bella." Draco was eyeing her calmly, in his meditative way, the one that made his eyes into mercury and as piercing as a sharp blade. "Bella, why do you care about them so much? Potter and Granger especially. Why bother with them?"

"Hermione's a kind person Draco. Clever and witty and eager to soak up everything. Half the things I've learned this year Hermione has taught me. She's also loyal and brave and there's a spark there that reminds me of Mama sometimes." Draco didn't roll his eyes or scoff at the notion. He wouldn't, not while he was looking at her so closely, and thinking with an unbiased mind.

"And Potter?" Bella colored slightly, not in the ridiculous way Pansy might have, but in a delicate way.

"Part of it is a sort of hero worship I guess you could call it." Bella admitted, poking a mound of rocks with her wand. They began to stack themselves into a tower. "I remember Mama's stories, and what his parents did, and what he did--unknowingly yes I know--and well I can't help but feel grateful that Harry Potter lives." Bella dropped her eyes to the grassy ground then. "And the other part of it is that I can see goodness in him. The kind of goodness I thought only my big brother had." She lifted her own silvery gaze to meet her brother's. "When I'm around him, I feel almost as safe as I do when I'm around you. I think that, if I were to tell him I was hurting or sad or in danger, he'd react almost the same as you would."

"So...you think of Potter in the same way you think of me?" Draco asked sounding just a tad jealous.

"No no, I could never think of anyone the way I think of my big brother." Bella replied, poking the rock tower so that it tumbled over. "I think it's on the same level, but not the same feelings. Does that make sense?"

Draco thought about it, watching his sister make the rocks fly in a ring five feet from the ground. On the same level, but not the same feelings. Which meant there were other feelings, and those were as strong as the ones she had for her brother. Draco frowned, hating to think someone had finally come along who would be a rival for his sister's affection. He wished he'd stopped her from making up with the Gryffindors now but knew she would have been much more unhappy without them.

He blinked and his eyes were hard steel once more. Bella just smiled at him and then pulled him to his feet. "Come on now, we'd best get started on our homework.

Draco groaned as Bella waved to Hagrid who waved back and smiled at her. Draco had to admit, having a sister that could charm everybody did have its perks.

-------------------------------------------

A few weeks later Bella was alone, walking around after class and just clearing her head. Pansy Parkinson had cornered her in the girl's bathroom and told her that if it weren't for the fact that Draco was her brother, she would have hexed Bella into next year. Bella had told her simply that if she really wanted to hex her, she was more than welcome to it. Parkinson had blinked and then started shrieking so Bella had hexed her lips closed and locked her in the bathroom. She wondered if someone had let her out by now and what she was telling them. This would be points from Slytherin no doubt but she'd make them up soon enough, probably in Potions.

"Bella!" She turned and found Harry, Ron, and Hermione walking towards her. "Where're you going?" Harry asked as they caught up to her.

"Oh I was just enjoying the fresh air." Bella replied.

"Well come with us." Ron said, pointing to Hagrid's hut. "Hagrid's gonna tell us about what's guarding the Stone aside from Fluffy." Bella brightened up and followed them down to the hut where Hagrid was waiting for them.

"So--yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?" Hagrid asked after they all settled down and he'd made them tea.

"Yes." Harry said. "We were wondering what was guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy."

"I don' know meself. Yeh know too much already, so I wouldn't tell yeh even if I did. That Stone's here for a reason, it nearly got stolen--s'pose yeh've figured that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know about Fluffy."

"Oh, come on, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us but you do know, you know everything that goes on round here." Bella was surprised by the warm flattering tone that Hermione was capable of. Its effect was immediate, if Hagrid's twitching beard were anything to go by. "We only wondered who had done the acutal guarding really." And her ability to smoothly lie--or at least speak a half-truth--was something notable. "We wondered who Dumbledore trsuted enough to help him, apart from you." And Hagrid's chest puffing out proved Hermione could probably put most of the pureblood witches Bella had met to shame. Of course no one would ever out talk Narcissa Black.

"Well I don't s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that much...let's see...he borrowed Fluffy from me...then some o' the teachers did enchantments....Professor Sprout--Professor Flitwick--Professor McGonagall--Professor Quirrell--an' Dumbledore himself did somethin' o' course. Hang on I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah Professor Snape."

"Severus did something?" Bella asked Hagrid, interrupting the boys from spitting out Snape's name in disbelief. Bella however was starting to run through all the things her godfather could have done to protect such a powerful artifact.

"Yep he did. I expect somethin' to do with Potions." Bella nodded, yes Potions would have figured into the enchantment somehow.

"Are you the only one who know's how to get past Fluffy?" She asked then.

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore." Hagrid replied proudly and Bella let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Hagrid can we have a window open? I'm boiling."

"Can't Harry, sorry." Hagrid said, his gaze going to the fire. Harry followed it and saw something in the very heart of the fire.

"Hagrid, what's that?" He asked.

Bella looked at it and felt herself grow pale. A Norwegian Ridgeback. Many years ago, when she was just five, she had been visiting her mother at St. Mungo's, a man had come in with his leg completely missing due to a Hebridean Black he'd been raising. It had become snappy when its meal had not been brought promptly and had snapped her owner's leg off in compensation. She shuddered and prayed Hagrid came to his senses soon.

-----------------------------------

Bella sat rubbing her forehead and wondering what on earth she should do. She'd kept quiet, as Ron had forced her to promise--he was still very iffy about her when things like this occurred--and even managed to avoid having Draco discover she was carrying such a secret inside her mind. Of course it helped that two nights after Bella had gotten five points taken from Slytherin by Severus for hexing Pansy--he'd had to choke a laugh when Bella calmly told him why she'd done it and then called Pansy a stuck-up cow--Parkinson had tried to hex herback. Instead the spell had set her bed on fire. Bella had put it out before it could do much damage but Millicent Bulstrode had completely freaked out and run screaming for Severus who'd shown up just in time to find Bella tying Pansy's hands behind her back while Draco held Pansy's wand.

After that Severus had gone to meet with Dumbledore who'd agreed that Bella needed a room of her own until Miss Parkinson could be dealt with. Without having Pansy or Millicent constantly telling Draco about stuff she let slip in the privacy of the dorm, Bella had managed to pretend nothing was amiss.

Having her own room had its perks. It was a small room, much smaller than anything she could remember having, but small in a cozy way. Within no time she had the walls covered in sheer silver silk and the floors covered in a lush green carpet. Draco had a smug look on his face whenever he entered it with his friends, basking in the results of favortism, as Pansy put it anyway.

Of course when Hermione frantically waved her over one morning, Draco began to suspect something. Bella hurried over to her friends and read the tiny note they handed her. When Bella returned to Draco's side he cocked a brow at her. "Oh nothing just Hagrid was inviting us to tea." Bella said simply. Draco eyed her shrewdly, letting her know without words that he knew something was up. She narrowed her gaze at him. "Drop it. It's nothing really."

"Hn." Draco replied, resolving to keep a close eye on Bella.

-------

Nothing Bella had said. Nothing! How did a dragon baby count as nothing! That oaf Hagrid had a dragon egg and it had just hatched! He'd seen it! And Bella had sat there, staring in a mixture of awe and horror as the thing popped out! Draco stormed as he rushed back to the castle, pausing only when Bella called out to him.

"Draco listen--"

"He has a dragon!"

"Yes but Draco--"

"And you were keeping quiet about it!"

"Draco I couldn't tell on--"

"This is why I hate Gryffindors!"

"Oh really that has nothing--"

"It has everything to do with it! Brainless brawny idiots, the lot of them!"

Bella cocked a brow at him as she pulled him into her own room, slamming the door shut in Blaise's face as he approached trying to find out what Draco was raging about.

"Hermione is not brainless or brawny." Bella quipped. Draco gnashed his teeth at her but finally shut up and dropped himself into a squashy armchair.

"Just... Just don't go near it." Draco finally said in a calm level voice. "Please, they grow fast. You could get hurt. I don't care about Hagrid or Potter and his sidekicks." Bella sighed heavily but nodded. That was reasonable. Really.

"All right fine, I won't go near it. But you can't tell on them either." Draco gnashed his teeth again.

"Fine fine, I won't tell..." Draco grumbled and Bella knew he'd keep his promise. He always kept his promises to her.

--------

Bella once again experienced the need to find something heavy and hit Ron Weasley over the head with it. He'd lost any and all trust he'd had in her. When he went as far as to accuse her of conspiring with Draco to get them all in detention she finally snapped. Her eyes grew cold as steel and she leaned towards the taller boy, forcing him to actually take a step back. They were in the hallway on their way to the library and there were quite a few people loitering around to see the confrontation.

"Look Ron I've been fair and honest with you from the start and all you've done is attack me and my brother and my nature. So obviously I'm going to have to change tactics." She put on her best sneer, learned at Narcissa Black's knee, and pulled out her wand which caused Ron to flinch back another step. "Weasley, if you don't shut up and stop accusing me of having some neferious scheme hidden up my sleeve all the time, I'll hex you until you can't see straight anymore!" She was hissing by the end of it and with that she whirled around and hurried away.

"Did you see that!?" Ron demanded once he'd gotten his brain back. "She pointed her wand at me!"

"You did ask for it." The three whirled around to find Draco leaning there, half hidden in an alcove and looking rather satisfied. "It's true, Bella won't ever be as horrible as people think she is. But if you push her enough she'll show you how much she's actually learned from my mother. Trust me Weasley, if she wanted to, Bella could have turned you into Calixto's new chew toy." Draco spared them a happy sort of grin, which made him look human and haughty and gave Harry the urge to punch him hard. "Thanks by the way. Honestly Weasley you're doing a better job of driving Bella away from you three than I am." And he went on his way, chuckling. Harry fumed.

"Ah who cares?" Ron said, scowling in the direction Malfoy had disappered in. "If she wants to stop hanging out with us, I won't try and keep her here."

"Ron you're such a jerk sometimes!" Hermione spat. "Can't you see that's exactly what Malfoy wants? He hates us you know, and not just because we're Gryffindors. He doesn't like sharing Bella with anyone else. He's really possessive of her. It'd please him more than anything if Bella stopped being our friend because you can't get over your prejudice against Malfoys!" Hermione stomped her foot. "And I won't let that happen!" She whirled around, hurrying into the library and Ron gaped at her then turned to Harry.

"You don't really care about having Bella around do you?" Ron asked. Harry, who found he agreed with Ron on a variety of subjects, gave Ron a thoughtful look.

"Yes I do. Bella's been a good friend to us hasn't she? Malfoy saw the dragon too remember, but he hasn't told anyone. Why not? He'd want to get us expelled right?" Ron nodded, his ears turning pink. "Bella probably made him promise not to tell. Not just too keep Hermione out of trouble, but you and me as well. And she went to the trophy room to try and warn us away. She hasn't told anyone we know about the Stone or what Hagrid's doing. Really Ron, I don't get why you're so stuck on being horrible to her." Ron was very pink faced by the time Harry finished his speech. He sat quietly at their table, not even noticing the cutting glares Hermione sent him from time to time. Harry just let the silence hang, knowing Ron was thinking hard.

Finally Ron cleared his throat and spoke. "I guess I have to trust her more then." Hermione gave him a sharp nod while Harry smiled at him. "Doesn't mean I have to like Malfoy."

"Nobody said you had to." Harry said as Hermione rolled her eyes.

-------------------------------------------

Why couldn't Draco just leave things be for once in his life? No he had to go and bother Ron when he was stuck in the hospital wing. Not only did he take his book but then he found the letter to Charlie Weasley and had gotten that look in his eye. And not even threatening him with telling Narcissa had kept him from having a bounce in his step and a grin on his face. Bella had warned them Draco knew and her Gryffindor friends had tried to rearrange the time for Norbert to be moved. Since they hadn't said anything to her, she figured them must still be trying to think of how to move Norbert.

However right now she had another annoyance to deal with. Bella sighed heavily as she felt a nagging pull on her mind. She had a vague bad feeling that her big brother had gotten himself in trouble--and gotten her Gryffindor friends in trouble too. But that wasn't the source of the nagging pull. No, that came from the feeling that there was something she needed to do. She frowned. This was a new sort of feeling, thus her hesitation to act on it. She pondered it for a while then got up and stood quivering for a second. She then left the common room and made her way up to the entrance hall. Pausing she waited for the tug and it came, leading her upstairs. She followed without question, wondering what this could mean. It didn't even cross her mind that she was in the halls after curfew and could get in trouble.

Following the tug she came to a stop on the third floor. Bella quickly leaned in and heard Fluffy's snuffling noises. Satisfied the beast still lurked in there, she focused on the feeling once more. It led her further up the stairs, to the fifth floor, where a large ornate golden door stood before her. She didn't think that had been there before. But the nagging tug wanted to go through the door and so she opened it with a soft Alohomora and then she found herself in a rather strange room.

It was rounded though she was sure she wasn't in a tower, and the walls were made of rough stone. Directly across from her was another door. She went forward and opened it as well, noting an opening behind the door, like the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room. She knelt down and peered into it. Unless she was much mistaken, there was someone talking on the other side. Without a care or a push from the odd feeling that had brought her here, Bella crawled through and found herself standing in a dark room.

In the dark room she could barely make out the lumpy shapes of things. There was only silence, and no more of the babbling she'd thought she'd heard. Then torches flared to life and she saw she was in a room full of odds and ends. Things that were probably left behind and shoved in here, forgotten about for many decades. Bella smiled a little and began digging around in the old boxes and pulling dusty sheets off to reveal very comfortable furniture looking furniture. She found dress robes and old gowns, trunks full of gems and jewelery. Forgetting about the outside world for a while she started playing around, dressing up in an old gown that instantly shrunk to fit her. The tiara she'd placed on her head shrunk as well, so that it rested perfectly on her loose hair. She started looking for a mirror and sure enough there was a rather large and old mirror there. She pulled the cloth off, then examined herself in it, smiling.

Then something in the mirror's reflection changed and Bella squeaked. She looked at the mirror with wide eyes as shapes began forming in the glass. Her eyes whirled around the room, wondering what could be happening.

Then the words atop the mirror caught her eye. _Erised... _Erised! The enchanted mirror! Bella couldn't believe she'd found it! She stood up and stood before the glass once more. She had to wonder what her deepest desire was. Ron desired to be the best of all his brothers. Harry desired to have his family. She wondered if she was one of those rare people, who were already the happiest people on earth.

The mirror however, twisted and she found herself staring at herself yes, but there was some person next to her. She couldn't see who it was because they were turned away from her, looking over at a house and children. Bella stared in awe, a hand coming up and touching the glass. Her reflection smiled and gestured around them to the beautiful rolling hills and grassy land, the summer sky and a pale blonde man in the distance who waved cheerfully. Bella shut her eyes for a moment.

"But I have a family. Why would this be my deepest desire?"

"Because you _have_ a family and you know it's what makes you happiest." Bella jumped and whirled around, searching for the speaker. No one was in the room. Then she noticed the headmaster's silvery beard and twinkling blue eyes. She turned to face him, wondering what he was doing here.

"But..I don't understand." Bella put her hands to her chest, shutting her eyes. "I mean yes I want to get married someday and have a family, but that's always been a plan and not a so very secret desire."

"Sometimes there are people rare enough to know what it is they want. You are such a person." Dumbledore told her. "You know what you wish out of life."

Bella looked back at the mirror, at the happy future that could be. That _would_ be. "I want my someone to be someone who won't judge me for my name or blood, who will get along with Draco, who will accept Mama, Tia Cissa and Severus." As she spoke their names they appeared in the mirror as well, and came closer. Draco beside her, her mother and his and Severus behind them, yet her husband's face remained in shadow and the children remained distant.

"It is all right to have simple desires." Dumbledore told her, patting her shoulder. "You have always been easily pleased. It is something Severus finds endearing and alarming."

"Alarming?" Bella asked now, her eyes flickering to see the sparkling light blue of her headmaster.

Dumbledore laughed. "Severus feels you will be easily tricked once you come into the age where young men will try and vie for your affection. He wishes you were more selective of your pleasures."

Bella laughed now too. Severus could be so silly when he wanted to be. "I might be easily pleased but I wouldn't allow myself to fall for false promises. He's taught me better than that."

Dumbledore chuckled then. "Yes he has." He smiled then at the clothing Bella wore. "Well then my dear, for tonight you must depart. The mirror will be moved back to its new residence, but do feel free to use this room and all its contents to satisfy your whims." Bella beamed then blinked.

"Moved back?" She asked as she followed the headmaster out through the hole in the wall then past the mirror room and through the golden door once more. She watched as it sank into the wall and then disappeared, to be replaced with a portrait of a door which was being opened by a girl who looked strangely like Bella.

"Well you did express the wish to see the mirror. I merely obliged." Dumbledore said as if that explained everything. Which Bella knew it probably did but she just couldn't see how at the moment. So Bella simply bid the man farewell and skipped back down the halls.

"What's this?" Bella stopped dead on the first floor landing, her silver eyes going wide. "Another student out of bed?" She turned to find Filch leering at her, his face shining with his malicious pleasure at being able to tell on another student. He grasped her arm and Bella jumped, not because of the fact he was dragging her, but because of the fact that she was still dressed in the pretty blue gown and still had on the tiara of bronze.

Filch dragged her all the way to McGonagall's office just as she took fifty points from each student. Bella saw it was Harry, Hermione, and Neville. "I got another one professor!"

"What!?" McGonagall fumed, then blinked when she caught sight of Bella. Bella blinked as well.

"What's going on here?" Bella asked looking to Harry and Hermione for confirmation.

"Oh you were after the dragon too Miss Malfoy?" McGonagall said.

"Dragon?" Bella cast a quick glance at Harry and Hermione then at McGonagall who was fuming. "What are you talking about?"

"Professor, Bella wasn't with us." Hermione said quickly.

"Really? Well then where were you?" McGonagall demanded.

"I was in...well I was with the headmaster for a little while." Bella told McGonagall who's lips were pressed so tightly they were white.

"With the headmaster?"

"Yes. For a bit."

"But you admit to wandering the halls alone?"

"Er...I suppose that is what I was doing." Bella toyed with the white lace on the cuff of the gown.

"And the dragon?"

"_What_ dragon?" Bella allowed a tiny scowl to twist her frown.

"The one your brother seemed to believe Mr. Potter and Miss Granger were transporting." Bella suddenly realized what must have happened but aside from a slight twitch of her fingers she gave no outward signs of it.

"Draco thought Harry and Hermione were trasnporting a dragon?" Bella asked, slight laughter in her words. Harry had to marvel at her ability to lie to McGonagall. The witch stared at Bella long and hard before sighing.

"If you are not lying about meeting the headmaster--at this time of night!--I will only take ten points from you and give you a detention. If you _have_ lied about meeting the headmaster it will be fifty points and two detentions. Understood?"

"Yes Professor."

McGonagall looked at her clothes again then dismissed them all.

"You moved Norbert _tonight_!" Bella hissed, so Neville could not hear. "I thought you told me we were going to wait because Draco had found out the time!"

"We couldn't find a way to tell Charlie's friends that. Besides, this way Hagrid doesn't get in trouble." Harry muttered back. Bella nodded. At least Hagrid wasn't facing time in Azkaban.

"But what were you up to?" Hermione demanded and so Bella explained to them quickly about the hidden room where she'd seen her deepest desire. Harry grinned at her briefly.

"You might as well come up." He said when they reached the portrait. Bella nodded, cringing as she remembered how much points McGonagall had taken from the Gryffindors. Bella lowered her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I should have told Tia Cissa, to keep Draco quiet. She always puts a stop to his schemes." Bella lowered her eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right. It's not your job to keep Malfoy in line." Hermione told her as they bid Harry good night and headed to the girl's dormitory. "Your brother has to learn to think about his actions before acting on them." Bella nodded and settled into the bed with her friend, sighing as she tugged the tiara from her hair and settled her head on the pillow.

------------------------------------------

"Bella talk to me."

Bella remained silent, digging into the trunks and wondering what she ought to try on next. It had been a week since she'd gotten caught out of bed. The morning after Bella had stayed with Hermione to comfort her, and then she'd marched right over to Draco, smacked him on the forehead then turned and headed to her room to change for class. Draco had followed her around everywhere, which was why she hadn't been able to keep him out of the secret room. He sat on a chair now, his eyes pleading as Bella pulled out a scarf. She held it in her hands then turned and wrapped it around Draco's head. Draco sighed, tugging at the knot Bella had made while Bella continued to look around the room. It was a treasure trove and she felt she ought to bring the Gryffindors up here.

"Bella look, I'm sorry."

"One hundred and fifty points!" Bella hissed, throwing an old sweater at Draco who let it hit him full in the face. "They're my friends Draco! Aren't I allowed to have friends!?"

"Of course you are!"

"Then why do you keep trying to make them hate me." Bella asked, feeling tears spring in her eyes. Draco was startled by them. Had he put them there? No, no he always did everything to put a smile on her face. Draco got up and hugged his little sister, letting her cry onto his shoulder.

"Look, I'm sorry Bella really. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. You know that." Draco finally said. "I just... I didn't like the feeling I got when I saw you with them. I felt like they were taking you away from me. It's not fair. I've been with you forever, we've always relied on each other, and no one ever tried to take you away from me before. I don't like them either. Stupid Weasley's always making you feel bad. Know-it-all Granger and Bloody Potter.... I don't like them." Draco huffed. "Who are they to take my sister from me? What have they done that could ever match everything we've done?"

Bella had to laugh, and the watery laugh made Draco feel better.

"Oh Draco, you're my one and only big brother. No one's ever going to replace you or be able to match all the things we've done together. My friends are good and kind. But you're my brother. Blood will always be what ties us together. Sure I might do things with them that I don't with you, or I might side with them on occasion. But only if you're wrong. Draco, when have I ever let anyone keep us away from each other. Even our own father couldn't do that." Bella hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. "It's always going to be Draco and Bella, I promise. But I'd like to have friends too. People who I can play with and study with and invite over during the summer. You know, people who I can have fun with."

Draco nodded for a few seconds then scoffed. "We are not inviting Gryffindors to Black Manor." He said making Bella laugh as his nose pointed in the air.

"Fine then I'll just go visit them during the summer." Draco spluttered making Bella forgive him with another kiss on the cheek.

"As if I'd let you." Draco huffed while Bella pulled out a crown and placed it on Draco's head. Draco smirked as he caught his reflection in the old mirror that had replaced the Mirror of Erised.

"Draco shouldn't worry, he'll always be the best." Bella answered, watching Draco begin to hunt more things in the jewelery trunk. Draco paused and looked up at her, giving her a loving and warm smile that Bella knew no one else would probably ever see.

--------------------------------

"What?" Draco gaped, looking from the forest to Bella and back. Bella pulled her cloak tighter around her and stood tall, knowing she'd earned this. "Bella can't go in there!" Bella took his hand and squeezed it.

"I'll be all right Draco." Bella looked at the woods then brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "It's not like I've never been in a forest before." She gave Draco a look that Draco returned. He nodded.

"All right, fine, but Bella stays with me." Draco demanded. Hagrid nodded, then led them into the woods. They were searching for a dead or dying unicorn. Draco shuddered to think what could be lurking in the woods and killing unicorns. Sure he wasn't very partial to the forest himself, but like always, Bella became his main priority whenever they entered situations like this.

Hagrid spilt them up. Harry and Hermione with him. Draco, Bella and Neville would head down the other path with Fang. Once they'd separated Draco made sure to keep Bella close. He even ordered Fang to stick with Bella. Neville was shuddering and shivering.

"It's all right Neville. We're perfectly safe." Bella told him softly, so as not to startle him more. "I know he doesn't act like it, but Draco knows a thing or two about wandering in the woods." Neville looked from her to Draco and back. "Besides, Hagrid is nearby. I doubt though that the professors would have approved of this if it was too dangerous." Neville seemed calmed, and Draco figured that was due to Bella's steady tone than her logic. He looked over his shoulder to find Longbottom giving Bella a timid smile which Bella returned. Draco had to sigh. Soon enough, Bella would have half of Gryffindor house at her beck and call.

"Bella." Draco suddenly threw his arm out to stop Bella from coming closer. "Look." Bella looked over his shoulder at the puddle of silvery-blue blood. It was dripping down over a slight edge.

"I'll take a look."

"No, stay here with Longbottom." Draco told her, heading to the puddle. Bella followed anyway, handing Neville the latern and ordering Fang to stay with him. The Malfoys walked forward and peered over the edge. There was a small ditch there with a faint splatter or two of blood but nothing like the puddle. So the unicorn must have come from that direction, climbed onto the trail and rested before heading off once more.

"Let's keep going." Bella told Draco. He nodded and they walked further up the path, seeing slight spatters here and there. Then they saw another puddle. Bella walked forward this time, looking into the twist of brambles and wondering if the poor unicorn had actually tried to get through it. "I don't think--" But Bella words were cut off as the ground under her trembled. "Wh--?" She screamed as the earth opened up beneath her and swallowed her up. Draco and Neville tried to grasp her hands or anything but they were too slow. Neville sent up sparks as Bella tumbled down and slid along the tunnel into it abruptly ended and she landed in a pile on the ground. She groaned, feeling as if she'd twisted her wrist. She rolled over and got onto her feet.

She was in a clearing it seemed and for a moment it looked baren and empty. But then, a cloud moved from the moon and the light shined down. Bella cried out softly as she saw the broken and obviously dead unicorn. She walked forward a few steps until she was in the light as well, and staring down at the beautiful creature. It had put up a struggle. It had not wanted to die.

"Bella! Oof! Potter get off!" Bella whirled around to find Draco and Harry untangling themselves from each other. Bella felt her lip tremble as she ran over to Draco.

"It's over there." She hiccuped, hiding her eyes from the sight. Draco blinked in the direction she'd waved her hand and gasped along with Harry. Bella was shuddering and shaking her head. Draco pat her back, keeping her from turning her head back to it. It was the first time they'd ever seen anything dead this close before.

Just as Harry was going to turn to check on Bella there was a sound. Bella gasped and whirled around as a bush rattled. A hooded someone came from the darkness. It had not seemed to notice them staring at it. They were hidden in the dark, their dark robes blending into the background. The hooded figure crawled along the floor and to the unicorn while the three children watched transfixed. It lowered it's head to a wound and began to drink the blood.

Draco let out a strangled scream and tried to pull Bella back. They tripped and fell to the ground, Harry falling with them. The thing got to its feet, silvery blood dripping down its front, as it stalked over to them. Then Harry let out a sound and clutched his forehead. Bella was trying to understand it all when they heard hooves and galloping, then something jumped over them all and charged at the hooded blood drinker. Harry took a minute or two for the pain to leave him. When he opened his eyes he saw a centaur over them. It wasn't the ones he'd met with Hagrid, but another.

"Are you all right?" Asked the centaur looking over at Bella who was begin held tightly by Draco, the both of them shivering.

"Yes--thank you--what was that?"

"You are the Potter boy." The centaur said. "You must return to Hagrid, the forest is not safe at this time--especially for you."

"Oh sure and what about us you bloody--" Draco began to snap but the centaur's pale blue eyes caught his and forced his throat to hold back the words.

"Ah...the Malfoys..." Draco blinked, wondering how this centaur knew them. Bella was staring beyond all of them, her eyes on the dead unicorn.

"Come, I will take you to Hagrid." The centaur said. "My name is Firenze." He said as he led them all out of the hidden clearing.

"What was that thing you saved us from?" Firenze didn't answer.

"Do you know what unicorn blood is used for?" He asked finally.

"No, we've only used the horn and hairs." Harry replied.

"That is because it's a monstrous thing to slay a unicorn." Firenze said, explain in a quiet voice about the power of unicorn blood.

"But who'd be that desperate?" Harry asked. "If you're going to suffer forever, death's better isn't it?"

"It is, unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else--something that will bring you to full power..."

"The Sorcerer's Stone." Bella said suddenly. "The Elixir of Life."

"But who--?" Harry began to ask.

"Can you think of no one who has waited many years to return to power, clung to life awaiting their chance?"

"Do you mean...that was Vol--"

Just then Hagrid appeared with Hermione and Neville, followed by Fang. "Are you there all right!" Hermione called.

"We're fine." Draco called, to stunned by the conversation to even sneer at Hermione's frazzled state. "We found the dead unicorn. It's in a clearing over there." Hagrid puffed away to look at the unicorn.

"This is where I leave you." Firenze said softly. "You are safe now."

The three nodded to the centaur who paused to look at Bella and Draco critically. "Your moments will come, young Malfoys. The stars indicate you will be ready when they do." Draco and Bella blinked, their eyes going to the patches of night sky they could still see.

"What do you mean our moments?" Draco asked.

"What will we be ready to do?" Bella asked at the same time.

"When the time comes, you will know. Good luck to all three of you." Firenze added and then took off, heading deep into the woods once more.

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**_And that's chappy seven! Thanks for tuning in! hehe! _**


	8. Magical

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) _**

**_Ohayo! It's so good to see people are liking Waga Routashi! Thank you everyone who's reading and everyone's who's waiting for the next update! I love seeing reviews! You're all very kind! I haven't had one mean review yet! So thanks! Of course reviews aren't necessary but like any author I do enjoy seeing them in my mailbox. But anywho's, you didn't come for my babble! You came for the chapter! So here we go delving into the Draco and Bella story! Yay! _**

**_Ms. Rowling owns whatever I haven't made up. ^^ _**

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**_Part One_**

**_--------------_**

**_Chapter Eight: Magical_**

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Bella stood on a beach, as golden water washed on the shore. A pale crescent hung in the sky along with thousands of stars. This was her special place, the part of her mind that no one could touch, the little world she had created over the years with her overactive imagination.

"What an amazing beach!" Bella turned her head and spotted a little boy about her age, his eyes dark brown, his hair black, his skin pale. He was very cute actually.

"Who are you?" Bella asked. She was the only human in this world. Everything else that inhabited were creatures of mythology and the every day. That was why she was known as the Goddess.

"Tomas." The little boy replied walking over to stand beside her. He smiled brightly at the golden ocean. "Is it made of gold?"

"No, it's just the color of gold." Bella replied. The boy knelt down to capture some of the sparkling water in his hands. "Tomas?" She asked. The boy looked up with a smile.

"Tomas Marvillo." Bella blinked. Why was that name familiar...? Oh!

"Mama and Tia Cissa made a charity for you!" Bella said. The boy nodded and smiled sweetly. "You were Mama's professor!" The boy nodded more. "How come you're so little though?" Bella wondered.

"I don't know." Tomas sounded honestly puzzled. "When I opened my eyes I was here and this size." He poked his stomach then and giggled. Bella smiled at him before another fact entered her mind.

"Mama said you were gone." Bella told him, eyeing him warily. He looked up at her then stood. Bella noted his was a little taller than her. "Like...gone forever gone." She mumbled, blushing a little when the boy laughed at her.

"No not quite." Tomas said as he motioned for Bella to sit beside him. She did so, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs, her chin on her knees. "I'm still alive... Just not in anyway that is natural." Tomas chuckled then and sounded much older than he looked. "But perhaps I should keep some secrets."

Bella watched him with her silvery gaze focused on his own dark brown and then boy smiled at her once more.

"But why are you here?" She asked aloud. He shrugged. She pouted and then huffed, her eyes on the sky.

"I think..." Tomas spoke softly, considering his words. "I think I have been brought here because I need your help."

"My help?"

"Yes." Tomas said, his cute face brightening. "I think I can come back, in the way I used to be, if I have something. Something that's hidden in Hogwarts. Something that is heavily guarded." Tomas saw the realization in Bella's eyes. "You know something don't you Bella?"

Bella narrowed her eyes and stood up. She backed away as the boy's face twisted and bubbled before settling again.

"I don't know what you want." She said backing away. His face twisted into a nasty snarl and she screamed as his eyes turned killer red and snake-like. "I won't tell you, get out!"

"You know about the Stone! Help me get it Bella!"

"No!" Bella screamed and put her hands over her ears. "No I wont! Go away! Get out!"

Tomas was about to shake her when he felt himself being forced out. His eyes widened as he found himself staring at a large wall of blue light. It punched him and he was suddenly expelled leaving Bella screaming on the beach.

"Bella!"

"Go away!"

"Bella wake up!"

"I won't tell you!"

"Wake up!"

Bella's eyes snapped open and she found herself in her bed, with Draco leaning over her and shaking her. She blinked and blinked again before she was certain that Draco was real. "Bella are you okay? You were screaming so loud the seventh years heard you!" Bella blushed but just held onto Draco. "Was it a bad dream?"

"Someone found my beach Draco." Bella told him as he pet her hair. "Someone...bad." Draco cuddled her until she stopped shaking.

"Someone bad?" Bella wondered what she should tell her brother then simply nodded.

"He wanted something..." Bella felt the dream fading and she gasped but only vague impressions remained after a few minutes.

"Bella?" Draco asked, startling her out of her daze. "What did the bad person want?"

"I can't remember." Bella replied, frowning. "But it was something important..."

-----------------------------------------

In spite of the worries plauging them, exams came and Bella was a little grateful for the distraction. Ever since their trip to the woods she'd begun having nightmares. That boy Tomas Marvillo continued to appear in her secret world and she wanted him out! She'd told Severus about the nightmares and he'd had the most curious reaction...

"Tomas Marvillo?" He'd asked in the tone he usually reserved when speaking about Longbottom. "You are having nightmares about him?"

"Uh-huh." Bella was a little worried Severus was mad at her but then he reached out to pull her into a hug and she relaxed, snuggling into his chest.

"Bella, whatever you do, from now on, don't talk to him. Run away or use your power to push him out." Severus told her, cupping her face so that their eyes locked. "Remember that he is in your world. You control your world, he does not. He cannot hurt you if you don't let him." Bella nodded, fear shuddering down her spine. "Good girl." He praised, making the fear melt as she settled into his lap.

Bella sighed as she yawned, stretching while she answered her Charms exam, the last of her exams. She just wanted to get out of this stuffy classroom! Severus had promised to give her and Draco special treats this afternoon.

Finally Flitwick called out time and they all let out groans and exclamations of relief. Draco smiled at his sister who smiled back. He put his arms around her shoulder and together they ventured down to their common room to drop off their things. Then they headed for the dungeons where Severus had just released some sixth years from their practical exams. The two bounded in to find Severus waited with a soft smile only they were ever given. Draco and Bella smiled as he pulled out a box of donuts.

"Yay!" Bella squealed and hurried forward, grabbing a chocolate filled one with a napkin and biting into it happily. Draco chose one with sprinkles and allowed himself to just space off for a few moments.

Severus let them relax, knowing they'd worked hard all year and earned it, in spite of their points loss and detention.

"Bella, stay away from Potter today." Severus said suddenly. Bella paused in the middle of her second donut and turned to Severus questioningly. "He's planning something stupid again and considering all the grief he's already inflicted on you, I'd feel better it you weren't involved in this one."

Bella blinked, then nodded and turned her face away. "Okay Severus, I'll stay away from Harry."

Severus highly doubted the honesty of her words and gave Draco a look which the boy understood. _Make sure she does. _Draco nodded and continued on his treat.

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"This place is very creepy when it's dark." Draco said as they went past the mirror room into the Room of Forgotten Things. The chandelier flared to life, filling the room with brightness. Draco smiled as he settled onto his favorite armchair, the one that he sank into and felt like king of the world in. Bella flittered over to a trunk she had not opened yet and found it full of a jumble of things. Old costumes it seemed and masks with make-up and little bells, feathers and boas and wigs.

"Cool!" Bella exclaimed as she resurfaced and pulled out a sword. She ran a finger over it and winced when the blade nicked her thumb. "Owie!" She pouted as a small bead of blood appeared. Draco choked and rushed forward to take it away from her.

"Bella! Careful, you could seriously hurt yourself!" Draco squawked as he held the sword. It was made of silver with an emerald snake on the hilt and odd runes all over the blade. As soon as Draco touched it the runes began to glow. "Gah!" He tossed the sword down and the light from the runes died down.

Bella stared then slowly reached down to pick it up. The runes did not react to her. She looked from Draco to the blade then grabbed her brother's hand and placed it on the hilt. The runes flared to life once more. Draco stared then he took the sharp weapon in his hands. The rune glowed brighter and brighter until the green light engulfed the blades and Draco's arms. Bella had to shield herself from the light.

When it was all gone the two siblings looked at Draco's hands. Draco was blinking rapid. The sword was no longer there in his hands. Instead in his hands was a small sword charm, hanging from a silver chain. The sword was made from emerald and it sparkled as Draco dangled it from its chain.

"How--and---but--the sword--" Bella was trying to make sense of it.

"That was...." Draco shook his head then turned back to the chest it had come from. Holding the sword charm tightly he went to rummage around in the chest until he found a small scepter. It was made of silver with a ruby on top that was protected by a crystal cage. There were runes on its side as well. He turned to Bella who'd been watching him with confusion.

"Here." He said and held it out to her. Bella slowly reached out to take it. Before her hand even touched the metal it began to glow just like the sword. Once in both her hands a ruby light filled the room and this time Draco had to look away. When the light died they looked and saw a ruby charm of the scepter lay in Bella's hands from a delicate silver chain.

What had just happened?

The two were about to dash out of the room when suddenly the wall groaned and rippled. Draco pushed Bella behind him as the two faced the wall. It creaked and the stones twisted until finally a new door stood there. The Malfoys looked at each other then walked forward. Draco wasn't sure what was going on, or why they suddenly had these enchanted charms, or why they only reacted to them but he did know that if he didn't go through this door, something terrible would happen.

"Stay close Bella." He said and Bella nodded firmly, keeping one hand on his sleeve as Draco opened the door.

They were left peering into a chamber that had fire all around. And Harry was down there, bound by ropes. And...and Quirrell was down there two.

"It's the Mirror!" Bella gasped loudly. Her voice echoed and bounced. Both Harry and Quirrell looked up.

Something whooshed through the Room of Forgotten Things and pushed them through the door. The two fell and landed in a head at the bottom of the stairs. They landed right next to Harry who was gaping at them.

"Draco! Bella! What're you going here!?" Harry asked, looking like he was in pain.

"Harry!" Bella said and tugged on the ropes before remembering her wand and running it over the bindings, cutting them off. Harry quickly shook them off as he pushed her behind him.

"What're you two doing here!?" He shouted.

"We don't bloody know Potter!" Draco replied. "One minute we're just in the Forgtten Things room the next a door appears on the wall and then we get thrown in here!" Draco growled and then gulped as he saw Quirrell striding towards them. "Bloody hell Potter what is this place!" Draco whispered, trying his best to keep an eye on Quirrell and Bella.

"Malfoys!" Quirrell spat and both Malfoys were surprised at the fury and harshness of his gaze and tone. "How did you get past all the enchantments!?"

"What enchantments? Where are we?" Bella asked in a quiet tone. Draco and Harry turned to her and found her face was blank. Draco reached out to shake her and she snapped back into herself.

"We're under Fluffy's trap door." Harry finally said. Bella's eyes widened with the implications and she started looking around.

Suddenly she felt herself being jerked to her feet and dragged against her will towards Quirrell. Harry and Draco both grabbed her wrists but Quirrell gave a foreful jerk of his wand and Bella stumbled backwards, landing on the floor next to his feet. She was forced to her feet once more then Quirrell reached up and grabbed her hair, grasping it tightly in his fist and yanking to bare her throat to his wand.

"Bella!" The boys cried as she struggled and was rewarded with only a sharp jerk of her hair.

"Leave Bella alone!" Draco demanded, fear washing into his voice. Harry saw him raise his hand and start to dash forward. But Quirrell merely smirked and yanked on Bella's hair making her cry out and Draco freeze. The professor's wand was digging into Bella's throat, into the pulsing vein.

"Don't move another step young Malfoy." Quirrell said in a soft deadly voice. "Now Potter, come here to the Mirror. You know where the Stone is. My Master knows it. Tell us where it is or watch the girl suffer." Harry gulped but did as he was told and walked to the front of the Mirror. He stared at it until he heard Bella's soft voice.

"No wait. Let them go." She was saying, her eyes flickering from her frozen brother to Harry. "Please professor.... I know how the Mirror works too. I can tell you where it is. Just...just let them go."

"No!" Harry and Draco shouted. "Bella shut up!" Draco added, his arms shaking but his vocie was surprisingly clear. "You don't know anything."

"I do. They're just trying to protect me. Please, let them go." Bella said to Quirrell who was starting to look confused and wondering.

"Bella! Shut it!" Draco hissed. He tried to take a step but Quirrell hissed and jerked Bella back a step. Draco shook with rage and fear. It was the kidnapping all over again.

_Lucius held Bella to his side, his wand level with her temple. Bella was struggling and kicking out but Lucius shook her and then turned to Draco. "Don't you dare call for help again Draco. Or I shall Obliviate Bella until she is reduced to her infancy!" Draco felt fear in him then. True fear. His poor little sister, ridiculed by the purebloods, hated by the Muggleborns for being a Malfoy. Poor Bella who seemed to catch every damn cold and fever, who only dreamed of someday getting married. His sister was being threatened by their own father and Draco could do nothing but bow his head and whimper! He was disgusted with himself!_

_"Don't hurt Draco." Bella whimpered even as Lucius twitched his wand at her. And Draco thought it was stupid of her to be saying such things when she was the one being threatened with losing her memories. "Don't take away my memories. Please. If I forget Draco, he'll be sad." Bella's words made but Draco and Lucius blink at her. "We won't call for help. We'll stay nice and quiet from now on. Please...don't make me forget..." And Lucius had lowered his wand and pulled Bella into an embrace which she endured because she knew that for the moment, she had to make Lucius believe he was the all-powerful one. She had to say these things and let him hold her because it would save them both. For the moment. _

_Draco and Bella spoke in quiet hushed tones that night...they needed a plan for next time. Lucius slept on, oblivious to the scheming of his children...._

Draco blinked out of his memory and then felt a warmth in his hands. Looking down he saw the sword charm he'd forgotten about. But now he wondered...

Slowly a smirk pulled at his lips. He blinked again and realized only a few seconds had passed. Quirrell was eyeing them indecisively now. His eyes went from Draco to Bella to Harry to Bella to Draco. Back and forth and back and forth. Draco took advantage of this to catch Bella's eye. He gave her a deep glare and she suddenly stopped struggling. Quirrell felt that.

"Potter!" Quirrell shouted as he looked at Harry, who was staring wide-eyed at the Mirror of Erised. "Tell me what you see!" If the Potter brat couldn't find it, then he'd use the Malfoy girl.

"I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore. I-I've won the house cup for Gryffindor." Draco couldn't help but snort. Then he choked as Quirrell pushed Harry away.

"Get out of the way!" The professor demanded. He yanked Bella in front of it next and Bella stared into the Mirror. From the corner of her eye she saw Harry back away cautiously until he was by Draco's side. The two boys were mouthing words but Bella was shaken from her observation by the man. "Now Malfoy, tell me what you see! Where is the Stone!?" Her head hurt and she shivered but she knew whatever the boys were saying to each other was going to help them all get out of this alive. She trusted them.

"I see...Dumbledore..." Bella whispered. "He's doing something to--to the Whomping Willow?" Bella bit her lip as she was shaken. "There's something in his hand..."

"Is it the Stone?" Quirrell asked greedily but suddenly a voice filled the air.

"She lies... Potter lied... They lie..." Quirrell let out an enraged shout and flung Bella away from him. Bella was caught by her brother who gave her a rather cheerful grin considering they were in this chamber surrounded by flames with an enraged psychopathic wizard.

"Potter! Malfoy! Come back here! Tell me the truth! What did you see?"

"Let me speak to them...face-to-face..."

"Master you're not strong enough!"

"I am strong enough...for this."

Draco, Bella, and Harry all watched as Quirrell began unwrapping his turban. Bella started a little when the charm in her hands began growing warm. She turned to Draco who opened his fist just long enough to reveal the glowing emerald sword. Bella then looked over at Harry who was watching them with worried eyes. She reached out to take his hand and smiled a bit. "Don't worry." She whispered. "We'll get out of this..." Harry couldn't help but believe her when her eyes turned into mercury pools. He'd never seen her look so confident.

Quirrell's turban hit the ground with the smallest of rustles but the noise drew their eyes once more to the professor who turned slowly in his place. Their eyes all widened with shock and revoltion. Bella let out a small choked scream as she was drawn behind two bodies.

The chalk-white face with its slited nostrils and crimson eyes was terrifying. Bella was glad her brother and Harry were in front of her for once. That face was terrible.

"See what I've become?" Asked the face of the most feared Dark Lord of their time. "Mere shadow and vapor...I have form only when I can share another's body...but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds... Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past few weeks...you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest...and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own... Now...why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"

"Do you think we're stupid?" Bella asked, pushing forward, the charm in her hand glowing brightly. Pink light came from her tightly closed fist as the boys gaped at her.

"Bella!" Draco and Harry hissed in unison. Bella just tossed her hair over her shoulder and narrowed her silvery eyes, lifting her glowing fist in front of her. She wasn't sure where this sudden courage was coming from--she was a Slytherin after all--but she knew that it would help them get out of this. It would help her help Harry and that was of dire importance to her for some reason. Helping Harry. She was basically choosing her side and she knew there would be reprecussions. But that didn't make her step back as she slowly opened her fingers to reveal the glowing ruby charm. Voldemort's face contorted against it and one of Quirrell's arms twisted behind him to block the spirit's eyes. Bella stood her ground.

"Where did you find that!?" Asked the chalk-white face. Bella shrugged.

"It was in one of my treasure chests." She replied, her body coursing with adrenaline. As she stared at the glowing charm she had the sudden impulse to put it around her next. In an almost-trance she opened the clasp.

"No! Quirrell! Stop her!" Quirrell whirled around but suddenly found the spot empty. Bella had jumped back and out of his reach, the chain hanging from her hands. Harry and Draco stood beside her. Draco too held his chain in his hands. "Stop them!" Voldemort shouted but it was too late. The Malfoys pulled the chains to their necks and closed the clasps.

Harry and Quirrell both watched in amazement as the siblings were engulfed for a moment in the light of their charms. It was gone in a blink and then there they stood, looking very much normal. But Voldemort was shrieking his hatred towards the heavens.

"You fool Quirrell! You fool!"

"Master--!"

"You allowed them to become Potter's shields!" Voldemort spit out while Quirrell fell to his knees as he was punished.

Harry blinked, looking from Bella to Draco who stood beside him now. He couldn't see anything different in them except that they looked much calmer than he felt.

"Harry." Bella said, her eyes narrowed. "You need to get the Stone out of here."

"Yeah Potter, get going." Draco added, moving forward to stand in front of him.

"What--no, I can't--!"

"You can and you will."

"You're mental if you think--"

"_Harry_!"

"I'm _not_--!"

"SEIZE POTTER!" Voldemort's scream broke the argument. Quirrell rushed at them and both boys were too slow to stop Bella from being grabbed. Bella looked suddenly like she had before her charm began to glow. She looked small and scared and frightened--

"Get off me!" She shouted and the pink light from before spread up Quirrell's arms making him yelp and pull back. She turned and grabbed Harry. "Darn you Potter!" She shouted as she forced the boy to move.

"GET HIM!"

Quirrell forced Bella and Draco to trip and Harry fell backwards into his grasp. Quirrell's fingers closed around his wrist. Pain needled into his scar making him yell and struggle. It hurt! It burned!

"Leave Potter alone!" Draco's voice broke just as a wave of coolness broke over him. Harry looked around to find Quirrell hunched over, on hand covered in what looked like frost. But both his hands were blistering. Harry turned his head when he was yanked to see Draco had him by the back of his shirt.

"SEIZE HIM! SEIZE HIM!"

Bella was just thinking how much like a whiny baby the supposed Dark Lord was sounding but then she heard Draco yell and saw him on the ground, his arms around his middle while Quirrell held Harry to the ground, his hands around Harry's neck. "Harry!" She tried to get to him but her feet were being magically stuck to the floor. She growled her frustration and struggled against the spell.

Harry was in agony. The pain was blinding. But Quirrell was also howling in pain.

"Master, I cannot hold him! My hands!" Quirrell shouted as he pulled his hands from Harry's neck and held them up. All three kids saw that they were ugly red and raw.

"Then kill him!" Voldemort shouted back.

"Harry acted on instinct and reached up to grab Quirrell's face. Quirrell screamed as he rolled off the boy, his face blistering just like his hands.

"Harry!" Bella called, finally having managed to get the damn charm off her legs with her newfound power. She rushed over and dragged him to his feet.

"Bella, take the Stone!" Harry told her, thrusting the blood-red stone into her hands. "He can't touch my skin! It hurts him! Go on! I'll hold him off!"

"You idiot it's your job to run!" Draco shouted limping over to them. Harry just shook his head and ran forward, catching Quirrell's arm. He ignored the shouts of the Malfoys but he knew they hadn't run like he'd told them. They were there, he could feel those odd lights running over him as Quirrell tried to shake him off. Harry couldn't see anything, everything hurt, but he clung onto Quirrell even as he felt other hands trying to pull him off. He heard shouting. "Harry! Harry!" But he ignored it and held on.

Then his arm was yanked away and he fell into the blissfully pain-free darkness. He hoped Bella still had the Stone and would run now. _It's up to you to finish it... _Harry thought. _I know you can. _

"Harry!" Bella whimpered. It was one of the most pitiful sounds Draco ever heard. He'd only heard it during those days in the forest and had promised to never let her make them again. But here they were, with Dumbledore standing over them, and Harry on the ground not moving an inch. His breaths were shallow and his face was paper white. Bella was holding onto his hand and shaking him. "Wake up!" Her voice cracked on those two words.

"Miss Bella." Dumbledore said and Bella looked up at him. "Calm yourself. You and Draco probably saved Harry using those powers. We must get Harry to the hospital wing. Understood?" Bella sniffled and nodded. Draco helped his sister to her feet as Dumbledore conjured a stretcher and floated Harry into it. Then he walked over to the wall from where the Malfoys had appeared. The door had appeared again and Dumbledore opened it, leading them out of that dreadful place. Draco kept his arms around Bella the whole time.

"He will wake up won't he?" Bella asked half an hour later after Madame Pomfrey had checked Harry over and said he appeared to merely need sleep and lots of it.

"Of course dear." Pomfrey told her but Bella heard a tone of worry. "I can't find anything wrong but I've called for Mireya just to be sure." And then Bella let relief wash over her. Because if her mother was going to check on Harry then Harry was sure to wake up.

"Can I stay here until she shows up?" Bella asked. Pomfrey laughed then.

"Did you think you and Mr. Malfoy would be allowed to leave? Not on your life! Now go on, change into these pajamas and hop into bed." Draco and Bella dressed quickly and then hopped into the same bed. Pomfrey was about to protest until she spotted the protective arms Draco held around Bella. His eyes told her quite simply that she had better not try it or else.

Dumbledore watched over them as they fell into a deep slumber. Mireya entered soon after that with Narcissa in tow. The women looked from the Malfoys to Harry then at Dumbledore.

"If you'll run a few scans over Harry, I'd be happy to tell you the story." Dumbledore said. Mireya nodded and drew out her wand. Narcissa sat next to her son and his sister and pet their heads, smiling when they sighed sleepily.

--------------------

Harry blinked up at Dumbledore as Bella and Draco sat on the edge of his bed. Bella took his hand in hers, making him blush as she felt for his pulse and then reached over to touch his forehead before she as satisfied. "So what are those things?" Harry asked pointing at the charms the Malfoys hadn't taken off during the past three days.

"Ah yes, I had thought I moved those out of the Room of Forgotten Things." Dumbledore smiled at Harry as Bell and Draco looked over at him, eyes questioning.

"You never did answer our questions Headmaster." Draco muttered feeling a little put out.

"I felt it would be best to wait for Harry to wake up before I explained."

"Well he's awake _now_."

"Draco..."

Dumbledore chuckled and nodded, his half-moon glasses flashing in the sunlight. "Very well, now then get comfy." Draco gave him a deadpan look while Bella settled into a more comfortable position. Once they were done Dumbledore smiled widely. "You see, these charms have been a part of Hogwarts history for many years. They are known and the Sword and Scepter of Hogwarts and have been known to find new weilders in the strangest of places. I remember one story tells they once appeared in the Prefect's bathtub." Dumbledore laughed along with Harry and Bella.

"But what exactly are they?" Draco asked impatiently.

"They find those who are in great need." Dumbledore said. "Somehow Hogwarts knew you would be in need of extra power. I believe what activated their magic was your desire to protect Harry."

Draco snorted and crossed his arms. "I didn't want to portect you Potter." He spat out. "I just knew if I didn't Bella would hate me until the end of eternity." He pouted and then frowned as Dumbledore chuckled. Bella smiled gently as she pat his head.

"Yes of course. However, it was the strength of your wishes to be of help, to help, that gave you the chance to use the energy trapped in these items and manifest them in your own way." Dumbledore paused, his twinkling eyes on them. "How did they manifest if I may ask?"

"It was light." Bella said, holding the ruby charm in her hands. "Mine was pink, Draco's was green. And mine burned." Bella blinked. "It burned Quirrell but not Harry."

"Mine turned into ice, but it didn't freeze Potter." Draco said. He blinked then groaned. "Bloody hell Potter!" Harry jumped.

"What'd I do?" He asked. Draco glowered then turned and crossed his arms, huffing and muttering under his breath.

"Nothing Harry. Draco just doesn't like you." Bella chirrped. Draco spluttered only making Harry and Bella laugh.

"Well if you wish to returned the charms, I will ensure they are kept in a safe place." Draco hastily took his off and as soon as the Headmaster took hold of it, it turned back into the silver and emerald sword. All eyes then turned to Bella who was holding her charm in both her hands. She looked from it to Harry then her big brother. Draco saw the hesitation in her eyes, and saw they were mercury once more. He reached over and ruffled her hair.

"All right, you can keep it." He told her. Bella sighed in relief then looked at Dumbledore who nodded as well.

"If you keep it, it will belong solely to you until the end of your days. The power it holds will come at your beckoning and you will only be controlled by you. As you can see," he said holding up the sword, "as soon as it leaves your hands, it returns to its dormant state."

"Thank you." Bella said then held it gently in both hands. "I don't think I'll ever need it again, but I like what it signifies."

"What does it signify?" Dumbledore asked cheerfully.

Bella smiled from Harry to Draco then sighed. "The beginning." She said simply. Dumbledore stared at her with a slightly clouded gaze before it cleared and he smiled an all-knowing smile.

"Yes. Of course."

---------

"Dumbledore's off his rocker." Ron stated once again when Harry had finished telling them everything that had happened since he'd woken up. Draco had dragged Bella away for dinner. "And so's Malfoy! Why would he give something like that up!?"

"I don't know." Harry replied honestly. "But what I really don't get is why he would let Bella keep hers? I mean, he usually forces her to do whatever he does." Harry mused.

"Maybe nearly dying forced him to grow up and admit that he can't always protect Bella. That she'll need something besides him sometimes." Hermione suggested.

Ron snorted but Harry gave her a thoughtful look. Maybe. Malfoy had proven he wasn't a total arse.

-------------------------------------

Harry was just getting read for dinner when someone suddenly knocked on the door of the hospital wing. "Knock knock!" Bella stood there with Mireya, Draco and a blonde that must be Draco's mother. Or so Harry guessed considering she was blonde. "Hiya Harry!"

"Er...hi." Harry said sitting up straighter. Bella plopped onto the side of his bed while Mireya picked up his wrist and then gave him a check-up making Harry blush. Mireya saw it then smiled.

"Forgive me but it's my second nature." She said and Harry nodded. She was a doctor after all. "You seem to be much better."

"I am. Madame Pomfrey says I'll be well enough to go to the end of year feast."

Mireya nodded. Then without warning she pulled Harry into a tight hug.

"You were very brave according to Bella." Mireya pulled back and her eyes were full of tears. Harry felt his face turn pink. "I'm sure James and Lily would be very proud of you." Her eyes fell to the open album on the bedside table and her face softened. She pulled Bella closer and hid her face in her daughter's dark hair.

"Thank you." Harry muttered, wiping at his eyes furitively.

"Mama has something for you." Bella said and Mireya nodded, pulling away and digging in her jean pocket for something. It was a small simple ring, a gold band with a Gryffindor lion on it. "It was James's." She said and handed it to Harry who stared at it in awe. "It shrinks and grows along with your own finger. James had given it to me because I was going to get it engraved for him. He was going to give it to you for Christmas." Mireya sniffled and shook her head. "I kept it all this time, not knowing if it would be right to just send it with a letter so... And then when I met you this Christmas I felt it was wrong to continue holding on to it but..." Mireya sniffled some more.

"Mireya has fond memories of your parents Mr. Potter." Narcissa said.

"They were the first to accept me when I came here with Severus." Mireya said, wiping at her eyes. "And James named me his honorary little sister." Mireya laughed. "He was a good man. And your mother, she was the kindest, sweetest person ever to live." Mireya beamed brightly at him then. "I think you are the best of them Harry. The very best of them."

Harry had to duck his head to keep Draco from seeing his happy tears.

----------------------------------------------------

Bella stood on her beach, this time with a determined smile on her face and her hands clasped around her ruby charm. She was ready when she felt that evil presence. Turning around she faced down the boy. He stayed in that form only long enough to let her see it was him then he transformed into his chalk-white face and insubstantial body.

"If I cannot have the Stone...I will use you to get rid of Potter." He hissed.

Bella stood still for a moment then cocked her head to the side. "Do you know why Mama made you a charity?" She asked but then plowed ahead, not giving him time to answer. "She did it because she loved you. Or some part of you. Either way...it was for you."

The red eyes narrowed but Bella held her ground. She remembered what Severus said and what she had proven down there in that room. "What is your point?" He hissed.

"My point is, that part of you has to exist. And because it does exist I can hurt it." Bella narrowed her eyes and her lips curled into a very Draco-ish sneer. She pulled her hands away from her charm and the pink light spread out, grasping the spirit of the Dark Lord in ghostly hands. Bella smirked and squeezed her own hands. The ghost hands squeezed as well, hurting him. As the spirit twisted and writhed, Bella glared with undeniable hatred in her usually kind eyes. "You're not welcome here. You'll never be able to use me like Quirrell. I'm not stupid. I've made my choice. I side with the Light and with Harry Potter. I choose to protect him."

"Why? Look at what you're doing." Voldemort spoke, his red eyes glittering with something malicious. "You are not acting like a very good Light witch." Bella squeezed tighter, burning him now. He thrashed around for half a minute before Bella answered him.

"I said I sided with Light, not that I was Light. I'm a gray area. But I do know one thing for sure. You'll never scare me like you did a couple days ago. If you attack Harry, be ready to deal with me too." Bella released him from her ghostly light. The hands hovered then pulsed and Bella purged her mind of any traces of darkness left by the spirit now being flung from her mind. The pink light reinforced her dream world's barriers and Bella collapsed onto the white beach, shuddering from the confrontation. She'd been lying of course. He scared her witless. However...from this day forward she would be at Harry's side. If--or rather when the day came that Voldemort returned, Bella knew her side was whatever side Harry chose. If he chose to be the Savior of the Light, then she'd be Light.

She was very certain of that.

-------------------------------------------

After everything that had happened, and everything Bella had witnessed....

"Ah! Get it away! Gross gross gross!" Bella squealed as Crabbe held a slug in his hands. "Ew!"

Draco was laughing but he stopped long enough to levitate the slug out the window. Bella relaxed then shook her head. They were headed to King's Cross only because Bella had insisted. Draco had grumbled but it was a well established fact that he'd be crocodile chow before he allowed Bella to go anywhere without him. Even with the power of the Scepter of Hogwarts at her disposal.

"I think I'll go see how Harry and Ron and Hermione are doing." Bella said suddenly, hopping off her seat. Draco followed her with a grimace. Saving Potter had not endeared the Boy-Who-Lived to Draco. Not one bit. In fact it had reinforced his dislike for the boy. Potter was a real rival now. He could steal Bella away from him if Draco wasn't careful. He had to be very careful or else someday Bella would be gone.

So it was with a sour face that he settled in the corner near the door while Bella chatted with her friends.

"You must come and stay this summer." Ron was saying now, and Bella was allowing herself a moment to space off. "All of you." Ron added, looking directly at Bella who jumped and blinked at him while Calixto purred in her lap.

"Huh?" Bella asked, blinking again.

"I'm sorry you know." Ron said, turning Weasley red and turning to look out the window. "For being a--well--"

"A prat." Draco supplied. Ron scowled but then nodded.

"So--if you'd like--I mean--" Bella smiled and nodded brightly, her eyes shining with happiness. Ron relaxed and nodded. Draco rolled his eyes very obviously but even a bit of a smile lingered on his lips. Because his sister had been made happy. Happy by people outside their family. Draco had never really wanted that but really, if it made Bella smile like that... He just wished they weren't bloody Gryffindors... Oh well. It was Bella's luck he supposed.

When the train got to the station Bella and Draco helped the Gryffindors with their things, then walked them to the barrier.

"There he is, Mom, there he is! Look!" Ginny Weasley's voice caught their attention, as did the fact she was pointing at Harry. "Harry Potter! Look Mom! I can see--"

"Be quiet Ginny, and it's rude to point." Molly Weasley said, before smiling down at them, though her smile twitched a little at the sight of the Malfoys. Draco lifted an eyebrow in perfect imitation of his mother's best bored face. Mrs. Weasley returned her eyes to the other four. "Busy year?" She asked.

Bella giggled as Harry answered with a nod. "Very. Thanks for the fudge and sweater Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh it was nothing dear."

"Ready are you?" A gruff voice butted in and they all turned to find Vernon Dursley standing there, looking for all the world like Harry was committing some illegal activity right in front of him. Bella tilted her head at him as Harry began moving over to them.

"You must be Harry's family!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, looking pleased for a moment.

"I actually feel a bit bad for Potter if _that's_ what he has to go home with." Draco said in a carrying whisper while he eyed Petunia and Dudley behind the fat Vernon. Vernon turned purple.

"Draco..." Bella said with a slight shake of her head. She was grinning though as she tugged on Harry's sleeve. Harry turned to her and Bella took his hand in her own and squeezed it. "Thank you." She said before hugging him. The Dursleys looked on in shock as the cute girl hugged the scruffy orphan before turning and taking her brother's hand. "We'll see you later Harry! Ron! Hermione!" Bella called as Draco dragged her back to Platform 9 3/4.

"Bye Bella!" They chimed together before Harry turned with a smirk at his relatives who were still gaping at the place where Bella had vanished.

"She hugged you!" Dudley scoffed as they settled Harry's things in the car. Harry smiled and nodded.

"Bella's a good friend." He said, leaning back in the car seat. "She helped me out a lot more than she knows this year." As Harry looked out the window, ignoring the Dudley, Petunia, and Vernon, he had a very pleasant smile on his face. Sure things had gotten crazy and mixed up and just plain weird. But all in all he wouldn't trade his first year in the Wizarding world for anything. He cherished it. There was just something so utterly....well magical about it. He laughed quietly and offered Hedwig a treat as they headed home to Privet Drive.

------------------------------------------------------

**End Part One**

* * *

**_And that's the end of year one! Whee! Thanks for waiting paitently and thanks for following along. Next up, year two! Hehe! I have lots of plans for year two! _**


	9. A New Adventure

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) _**

**_Here we are yet again! Thank you! Please continue to watch out for new chapters and please continue to enjoy Waga Routashi! It's my pleasure to twist the Harry Potter world and make it a story people actually read. Muchas gracias! _**

**_Y'all know by now that I no own HP. I just mess with it. _**

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**_Part Two_**

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**_Chapter Nine: A New Adventure _**

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Bella awoke slowly, wondering why the sun was hitting her right in the face. Had Natty or Beezle or Dobby moved the curtains? Or had Draco come to check on her then left? With a groan she sat up and rubbed at her sleepy eyes.

"You're awake." Bella jumped and whipped her head around to find Ginny Weasley's brown eyes on her.

"Uh... uh-huh." Bella replied sleepily as she remembered now. She'd been invited to the Weasleys and had arrived three days ago. Draco hadn't wanted to, but Narcissa and Mireya had talked him into not tagging along. Bella had been a little off for the first two days. She'd never been without Draco in her living memory. But she'd adjusted mostly. The Weasleys were simply wonderful. Mrs. Weasley was kind and sweet, although she complained about how skinny Bella was. Bella had giggled and accepted the extra food pushed onto her plate. At the manor they ate filling meals but they never filled themselves to bursting. That seemed to be a standard around here though.

It was beautiful in a quaint way. The house was a lopsided marvel. There was hills and fields and chickens and gnomes and all sorts of other things Bella had never been exposed to. Mireya had sighed when she'd Apparated with Bella here. She'd said that it reminded her of the cottage in Spain. Bella had heard many things about the cottage in Spain over the years and she had to agree. If the cottage was anything like the Burrow, then Bella could see the charm.

"Well come on then. Breakfast should be ready by now." And Ginny left the room to wash up. Bella frowned for a moment. Ginny Weasley was the only Weasley Bella could not seem to get along with no matter what she did. Whatever Bella tried was seen as 'snobby' by the youngest redhead. It made Bella very annoyed. She wasn't going to try and change the stubborn girl's perceptions though. Bella only cared about what her friends thought of her and so far Ron had not mentioned anything about her being 'snobby'.

Bella took her time getting ready. Just because she was a guest did not excuse sloppiness. So she washed her face and teeth then brushed her hair into two pigtails. She dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt then headed downstairs just in time to see Ginny streak past her upstairs, her face tomato red.

"What happened to--Harry!" Bella squealed, throwing her arms around the boy.

"Bella!" Harry laughed. "When did you get here!?"

"A few days ago." Bella replied pulling away to smile at the boy. "Draco didn't want me to but I told him he had to grow up." Bella replied making Ron snicker.

"Where is he now?" Harry asked.

"Oh he's with Tia Cissa visiting the Zabinis. And Mama went on a small trip to visit her _directora_." Bella explained, sitting down and digging into the plate Molly had already served for her. "Her old headmistress." Bella explained, when all she recieved were blank looks.

"Oh."

"Bella's been such a dear." Molly said now making Bella beam. "I was a little worried you'd grow bored here."

"How could I?" Bella asked, her silvery eyes wide with surprise. "It's wonderful here!" Bella smiled. "It's much more..._precioso._ Precious." Bella bit her lip trying to think of how to explain. "I feel much more freer here. The manor is so orderly. Beautiful, but orderly. I guess I take after my mother in that way. We don't like things being too perfect." Molly couldn't help but smile at the look of pure contentment on Bella's face.

"So when did Harry get here?" Bella asked and set off Molly's tirade about the flying Ford Anglia once more. Bella laughed while following the boys outside to de-gnome the garden.

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The Weasley house was as fascinating an experience for Harry as it was for Bella. For different reasons of course but it still was different for both of them.

Harry had never been in a house where people actually liked seeing him every day. And Bella had never been in a place with such country charm. When Mireya had brought her she'd reminisced with Molly about the Spanish cottage she'd once shared with her father. Bella could see the allure of a little cottage tucked away with rosebushes all around. Bella especially was having more fun than she would have thought. Molly delighted in teaching Bella the household charms and spells that Ginny thought were a chore.

Harry was having fun being treated like another member of the family too. Molly always offered him more helpings of food, exclaimed about him being underfed and sighed at the state of his clothes. She even patched them up and washed them with all the love and care of a real mother. Harry was happy to have the Weasleys treating him like another member of the family too. It was wonderful to feel so welcomed.

Bella did have her fair share of nastiness however. Ginny was reluctant to share her room with "a snob" as she put it. She was constantly defensive and often snapped at Bella when Bella proved ignorant in something Ginny had grown up with.

"You've _never_ folded _your own clothes_?" Ginny brought up during one afternoon while they were all helping Molly.

Bella shook her head and turned red. "I've never had to." She said in a small voice. "Natty or Binni usually do it."

"Well dear that's all right. Here, I'll show you how to do it." Molly said, sending Ginny a look that made the younger girl shush while she taught Bella how to fold the clothes just right.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of." Harry said later at dinner when Ginny brought it up.

"It's not?" Bella asked, lifting her head from her chicken.

Harry smiled. "Nah. I mean, you are from a rich family right?" Bella nodded. "And rich families usually have servants to do all their work for them don't they?" Bella nodded again. "Well see? It's not your fault, it's just how you were brought up. The only reason I know how to do anything is because the Dursleys forced me to." Harry went on eating while Molly glowered at a flowerpot at the mention of the Dursleys.

The Malfoy heiress felt much better when Harry sent her a smile of understanding.

Honestly though, she had no idea what she'd done to earn Ginny's hate. Aside from being rich, Bella couldn't think of a single thing that would make her so hell-bent on hurting her. And it wasn't like she could apologize to Ginny for being rich. So Bella did what she had been taught to do. She ignored Ginny's existence and serenely let the insults slide. She was a Malfoy, she was better than those who had to lower themselves to insults to make themselves feel better.

Still, being in the Burrow was one of those life experiences that Bella had been longing for. It made her heart lift whenever Molly gave her an indulgent smile.

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"Bella!" Draco didn't care how undignified he might seem, he raced down the stairs and pulled Bella into a bone-crushing hug.

"Draco!" Bella returned the crushing hug with one of her own. Molly greeted Mireya and Narcissa who aside from being perfectly aloof, did not insult her.

"Did you have fun?" Draco asked as he pulled Bella away from the Weasley clan.

"Yep! I learned lots of stuff from Mrs. Weasley. And playing with the boys was fun! Harry even started teaching me how to do some of those complex Quidditch dives!" She replied, bouncing on her feet.

Narcissa swept over to them as the large group entered the bank to find Hermione there with her parents. Before Bella could go over to hug her friend Narcissa pulled her over for an inspection. Bella had been ready for this of course. Narcissa always wanted her to be at her best.

"Hmm." Narcissa tapped Bella's hair and the stray ones settled into place in her plait. Her clothes were simple but of the best brands. She looked every bit like a Malfoy, as she should. "I am glad to find you smiling so brightly." Cissa said making Bella beam even more.

"Hermione!" Bella laughed and turned to hug her before Draco started dragging her towards a goblin. "See you in a bit!" Bella called.

"Aren't you going to accompany them?" Molly asked Narcissa and Mireya.

"Oh no. Only Malfoys can access the Malfoy vaults." Mireya explained. Molly seemed to not be understanding because then she added, "Narcissa and I have our own separate vault. You see the children inherited the Malfoy vault last Christmas so really they don't need us for much anymore." Mireya and Narcissa shared a laugh while Molly chuckled in disbelief.

Draco snagged a goblin and showed him their key before he took them down to the Malfoy vault. The Malfoys walked over and strolled through the opened vault, filling their bags with money. Then they headed down the stairs to the second floor. Bella skipped among the shelves and past a few chests when she came upon a bookcase. She smiled and started looking through them, wondering if there was anything that might inspire her in her new story.

She found a small slim black book that looked rather old. Flicking through it she found it was empty. On the inside cover was the name: T.M. Riddle.

"What's that?" Draco asked, looking over her shoulder as he folded a rather forest green cloak over his arm.

"Oh...looks like an empty diary." Bella replied, taking it along with a small volume of spells that had caught her eye.

The two left the vault then and were returned to the world above.

Hermione, Ron and Harry had remained on the steps waiting for them. Bella was happy about that and skipped along beside them as they went off to explore the alley together.

"So Ron tells me you and Ginny seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot." Hermione said. Bella nodded, turning to look at Draco who cocked an eyebrow.

"I think she's just jealous." Hermione plowed ahead making Bella giggle.

"Well I already knew that. It was a little obvious when she started saying I was a snob."

Draco growled, pulling Bella protectively beside him. "You're the furthest thing from a snob." Draco almost snarled. Bella nodded, patting his hand until he had calmed down.

"But I had lots of fun!" She told them all. "It was a different set of pace from what I'm used to but that's part of why I had so much fun. And Mrs. Weasley was very kind to teach me as much as she did. She never got annoyed with me whenever something came up that I didn't understand. It was perfectly lovely." Ron was grinning at her the widest of all them and Bella figured it was due to the compliment he'd paid his mother. Maybe they could get along better now than they had back in first year.

Everything was going fine and dandy until they reached the bookstore.

"Ugh. Lockhart." Mireya muttered as she helped them into the store while Narcissa instead went off to grab a cup of tea.

"Do you know him Mama?" Bella asked.

"No. But I've heard of him. Thinks he's a king." Mireya muttered more making Draco snicker. It wasn't like Mireya to be so condenscending of someone she'd never met. She was cursing lowly in spanish by they time they encountered the Weasleys who were waiting in line.

"These things are so heavy." Bella whined, leaning against her mother.

"I understand sweetie but the line is in the way of the register." Mireya said trying to soothe the girl. "Just wait a little more."

There was a commotion then as Lockhart found Harry in the crowd. Bella and Draco watched on as Harry was helplessly dragged toward the front of the large crowd. Bella felt her Scepter glowing under her shirt and gulped. No, she didn't need that kind of power right now. Well...

Bella turned her attention onto the blasted photographer. With a little twitch of her shoulder she sent a small trendil of her fiery pink light into the camera and caused it to explode. Laughter and gasps filled the room but Bella felt she'd done a good job. Of course Lockhart somehow managed to twist it into something positive.

"So much celebrity, the old thing couldn't handle it!" He chortled while still clinging onto Harry. Harry looked at her pleadingly. Bella gave him a small smile then sent another flash of power towards them. It forced Lockhart to finally part from Harry long enough for the boy to breathe.

"Bella..." Draco hissed in her ear. Bella subsided, but not before sending one last blast that made Lockhart's robes fly as if in a high wind. Other photographers began snapping pictures. "Ugh! I'm scarred for life!" Draco snickered beside her, knowing it was completely her doing.

Finally poor Harry was released from the man's grasp. He staggered towards them, dumping his books into Ginny's cauldron.

"You have those." He told her. "I'll buy my own." Harry turned to Bella then and missed Ginny's bright-eyed beaming smile. "You made all that happened didn't you?" He said with a slightly scolding tone in his voice. "You know we're not allowed to do magic outside of school."

Bella shrugged before smiling cheerfully. "But Harry, I'm a Malfoy. We tend to be rulebreakers." She giggled as Draco nodded in confirmation. Draco just liked being reminded that his little sister was tied to him by blood. The boy had a complex to be sure. But he wasn't ever going to admit to it. Not to anyone except Bella of course. He never kept secrets from Bella.

"Still, Malfoy or not, it's not good Bell." Harry said but he was still smiling. Bella just giggled more.

Draco's eyebrow twitched though when he heard Harry call her Bell. He'd noticed Harry doing that all day.

"Since when have you called her _Bell_?" He asked now, as they all made their way through the crowd to the outside street.

Harry paused once they were under sunshine and cocked his head, trying to remember exactly when that had happened. "Um...dunno. I just sorta started it."

"Well knock it off." Draco growled. Harry smirked at him with a very Slytherin look in his eyes which just annoyed Draco more.

"It's all right Draco. I don't mind it." Bella then skipped ahead to Hermione to show her the spell book she picked from the vault. Draco turned at once to Harry.

"Seriously, knock it off."

"Why?" Harry asked, a laugh tickling his throat, wanting to get out. "Jealous you're not the whole world anymore?"

Draco scoffed and spluttered, then stomped away to go find his mother. He _was_ jealous but he had been learning he'd need to get over it. It wouldn't help him remain Bella's favorite if he threw a tantrum.

They ended up spending another hour in Diagon Alley before Draco had to say goodbye to his sister again. She wanted to stay another few days at the Burrow.

"Be good." Draco told her and Bella laughed.

"Aren't I always?" She replied before grabbing some Floo powder, waving goodbye then calling out "The Burrow!" Before she disappeared. Draco sighed as he grabbed his mother's hand and prepared to Side-Along Apparate. He really didn't like Bella being so far away from him. Since they were kids his main goal in life had been to keep her safe and happy. How could he do that without her nearby?

"Draco." Narcissa said once they'd appeared at the front gates of Black Manor. Mireya was ahead of them, paused at a group of stargazer lilies. Bella's favorites. He could see the slightly sad look on Mireya face. "We're all getting used to it." Narcissa went on saying, letting Mireya move on before leading Draco up the sweeping cobblestone road to the courtyard. "Bella has been our little secret for so long. We never thought the day would come when someone would see her the way we have. It's astounding to say the least. I never thought anyone would ever see anything but Lucius Malfoy's illegitimate daughter."

Narcissa paused at the same clump of lilies as Mireya had and plucked one from the bunch. "To be honest, I thought we could keep her our little secret forever. That somehow she'd never been seen by anyone but ourselves. I should have known better. She's the very best of us. Mireya's heart, my upbringing, your warmth." Narcissa handed Draco the flower and ruffled his hair. "You're being very grown up about this Draco. I'm very proud."

She glided away then and Draco stood in the entrance hall for a few moments before heading up to his room. He summoned and elf and asked for a small vase then he set the lily in it.

"I don't like being grown up." Draco admitted in his room. "I want to be selfish and keep her all to myself." He frowned out the window. "But then that would make her sad." He sighed, shaking his head. "I dote on her too much." He said with a smirk. Oh well. That's the way things were. Bella would always be Draco's weakness.

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Ginny noticed the books on Bella's bed. The girl was currently taking a shower before bedtime. Ginny sighed as she walked over and touched the nice bedsheets that Bella said Narcissa had the elves pack for her. "I'd love to be rich." Ginny muttered, glaring now. "Not have to have secondhand things." She touched the diary and smirked. "Let's see what rich girl's whine about." Ginny said, snatching it up and flipping it open. It was empty. "Damn." Ginny paused then. Would Bella really miss it? Ginny had never been one to take things that weren't hers. But Bella just bugged the daylights out of her! She was pretty and had great clothes and loads of things Ginny never did! she was smart and didn't make a fool of herself when she was around Harry Potter! She was always so poised and always said the right things! Like a little spoiled snobby princess! Urgh!

Without another thought Ginny took the diary and hid it in one of her new Lockhart books. No doubt Miss Perfect had a spell on the diary to keep her words hidden. Ginny would just wait until they got on the train then she could do magic! And then she'd find out what Bella wrote.

Feeling much better about herself Ginny actually managed a sweet smile when Bella came in and to her the bathroom was hers.

The redhead felt pretty smug when she returned fifteen minutes later and found Bella curled up calmly in her bed. She'd been right. Bella hadn't missed the diary at all.

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Once they were on the train Bella excused herself from the Weasley twins and Ginny.

"Don't go talking to strangers now Bella." Fred and George teased. Bella laughed and waved before making her way up to the middle of the train where Draco had said he'd be. As she did her smile faltered.

The diary she'd found in the Malfoy vault was missing. It had been ever since they'd come back from school shopping. And then one of her favorite barrettes, a dragonfly made of real emeralds and sapphires, had disappeared from her accessories bag. She'd asked if any of them had seen it but she had a very good idea who it was.

"Bella!" Bella started then found herself staring up at Gregory Goyle.

"Goyle! How are you?"

Goyle grinned and went into a summary of his summer. "Are you looking for Draco? Our compartment's up here." Bella nodded and the boy led the way. Bella had to admit, Goyle came in handy. He could very easily part a crowd. "You all right Bella?" Goyle asked as they walked. "You looked worried."

Bella gave a small sigh. "I am. It's nothing serious but..." Goyle paused and turned to face her, a protective sort of look on his face.

Now most people often wrote Goyle and Crabbe off as mindless Malfoy bodyguards. That wasn't totally true. They weren't mindless. Crabbe could be very insightful sometimes. And Goyle had a knack for guessing things. They just never had a reason to correct people's assumptions about them.

"If someone hurt you I'll beat them into next week." Goyle promised her when she remained silent. Bella couldn't help the smile that twitched her lips.

"No no one hurt me Greg." She promised him and motioned for him to continue walking. "It's just... I'm missing some things I took to the Weasley's." She finally said as Goyle opened the compartment door for her. "I asked the Weasleys if they'd seen them but I think I already know who took them."

"Someone stole something of yours?" Blaise asked as Draco got up to greet his sister.

"Who?" Draco asked, eyes stormy with disgust.

"Ginny Weasley." Bella said, playing with her hair.

"What did she take?"

"My dragonfly barrette and that diary I found in our vault." Bella sighed.

"Well then I'll make her give it back." Draco scowled getting up.

"No!" Bella said, pulling Draco back into his seat. "No don't. It's just a barrette and a book."

Draco gave her a very level look. "That's not the point. The point is someone took something from you. From my sister. Pah." Draco muttered in Spanish and Bella giggled.

"Just let it lie please Draco." Bella asked. "All of you." She added to the boys in the compartment. "Just let it lie. Let her keep the barrette and book and think she's won." Bella's eyes suddenly became pewter and very cold. "Let her think she's bested me. I'll prove her wrong. She'll not scare me off her home and away from my friends." Bella huffed, sitting up straighter in her seat. "She'll learn it's best not to mess with a Malfoy."

Draco shared a lazy smirk with the other boys who were grinning back. Oh yes, Bella was definitely Slytherin material.

For the rest of the train ride everyone just enjoyed themselves, sharing stories about their summers and feeling the ties reconnecting.

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Draco sneered when the morning came and the little Weasley was stupid enough to wear the beautiful barrette to breakfast. Bella noticed this too but simply smiled serenly. Which of course meant she'd spent some time last night beginning to sketch out a plan of ultimate humiliation for the brat.

"What have we got today?" Draco asked, watching Ron Weasley try to fix his wand with Spellotape. He rolled his eyes.

"Charms, Herbology then after lunch we have DADA with Lockhart...and the Gryffindors." Bella said, looking at her schedule before biting into a large, gooey cinnamon roll. Draco laughed when a bit of frosting stay on her lips.

"You and messy foods." Draco chuckled before focusing on his own food.

"Is that the dragonfly she stole?" Crabbe asked, jerking his head towards Ginny while he and Goyle sat down on either side of Bella. Draco nodded approvingly.

"Yes." Bella replied. "I'm ashamed to say it looks rather nice with her hair. Then again it looked rather nice in mine." Bella sighed then. "Oh well. I'll just have to find a new favorite."

"That Weaselette has some nerve." Draco growled though.

"Weaselette?" Bella asked. Draco nodded making her laugh a little. "Oh Draco that's horrible."

"And yet you're grinning." Draco pointed out.

"Well I'm feeling rather hurt and vindictive." Bella pointed out before returning to her food.

The bell rang and they hurried off to their classes. Bella didn't spare a thought for Ginny Weasley at all. Not until lunch when she went over to say hello to Hermione.

"Sorry I didn't see you on the train." Bella said as Hermione made room for her.

"Oh that's all right. I expect you wanted to be with your brother after being apart so long."

"Mmhm!" Bella chimed.

"Hey Bell." Harry said making Bella look up at him and Ron. "How's your day gone?"

"Fine. And yours?" Harry groaned along with Ron.

"Awful. Lockhart's a nightmare." Harry replied, serving himself a big helping of stew. "Caught me right outside the greenhouses and decided he had to lecture me about being famous." Bella turned her grey eyes to the heads table.

"That blonde flop thinks _you_ need lectures from _him_?" Bella scoffed. "I've never heard of Lockhart until we got out booklists this year whereas I've heard your name since I was still in diapers!" Bella huffed and muttered some very inappropriate sounding words in spanish towards the DADA teacher. Harry chuckled. "You're in a very mean mood today aren't you?"

Bella nodded, her gaze flickering to Ginny who was showing off the dragonfly with a bit too much relish. Ginny caught Bella staring at her then and her brown eyes widened. Bella felt a smirk drift to her lips.

"Ginny looks like she's having a grand time." Bella noted and three other heads turned to Ginny who blushed and waved. Hermione, Ron and Harry waved back before turning back to each other. Bella sent Ginny a smile, a cold and promising smile. Ginny flushed and turned away.

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Aside from the pixie fiasco during Lockhart's class and the fact that the Whomping Willow had been crashed into, the rest of their first week went by smoothly. Well as smoothly as possible when your Defense teacher was a giant pain in the rear who thought he knew everything about anything.

As October came along Bella was feeling pretty good about herself. Ginny Weasley wasn't even on her radar these days. Bella paid more attention to her studies and her friends.

Draco surprised her when he revealed he had sent a letter to her favorite jeweler from Italy and had presented her with two brand new dragonfly barrettes as well as a beautiful and delicate bronze cross inlaid with brilliant crystals. She wore the cross as much as she wore her little musical charm, which never left her neck.

Quidditch training stole Draco about as often as it stole Harry so Bella spent her weekends with Ron and Hermione. She'd told Hermione about Ginny but refrained from telling Ron. She and Ron were starting to forge a deeper friendship these days. He trusted her much more than before. Bella would rather keep that trust than test it by telling him his sister was a bit of a klepto.

Halloween was of course brilliant as always. Bella spent the evening flitting from the Slytherin to the Gryffindor table.

"Sit down and take breath Bell!" Harry laughed when Bella sat down with an exhuasted groan. "You're going to upset your stomach."

"Ah no I won't!" Bella said, holding out a box of chocolates. "Here, have some! Mama sent me three whole boxes and there's no way I can eat it on my own."

The Gryffindors left a little while after that. Bella was sitting back with the Slytherins when she remembered she'd meant to give Hermione's book back to her. "I'll meet you in the common room!" She told her brother. Draco watched her sprint up the stairs before shaking himself and going after her.

"You can give it to her tomorrow!" Draco shouted, wondering at his sister's logic sometimes.

Bella came to the second floor and paused, hearing running. She dashed ahead and spotted Harry running pell-mell through the corridors, Hermione and Ron trailing behind him.

"Hermione!" She called. Hermione paused to let Bella catch up. "What is it? What's happened?"

"Harry--he says he's heard a voice--that it's going to kill--!" Hermione gasped. Bella blinked. She and Hermione took off running again trying to catch up to the boys.

"Harr, what was that all about?" Ron gasped, wiping his sweaty brow. "I couldn't hear anything..."

Hermione gasped then, pointing towards the end of the hall. "Look!"

Bella, Ron and Harry turned and walked cautiously towards whatever it was. Something shiny on the wall. Bella felt herself turn pale when they approached the wall. It had words, in blood red pain--Bella hoped it was paint--and hanging from a torch bracket.

"Bella! Where are you!?" Draco called, as he hurried up the stairs as well. He spotted several figures down one corridor and hurried towards them, nearly slipping on the large puddle of water the others hadn't noticed.

"It's Mrs. Norris!" Bella gasped as they all leapt back. She slipped but Draco hurried to catch her. His eyes were as wide as her own however as they read the message on the wall.

_THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE. _

"Enemies of the Heir, Beware." Draco said it outloud and Bella turned to him. Their eyes met and they both were thinking the same thing.

The story about the Chamber of Secrets had been one of the first stories Mireya had ever been told about Hogwarts. She in turn had told it to them when they were children. They'd sometimes used the Chamber as a setting for their childhood games.

"Trust me. We don't want to be found here." Ron was saying trying to get Harry to move.

But then came a rumble and the five students froze for a second. Draco was quick though, he turned and tugged Bella into a broom closet. Her friends or not, Draco was not letting his little sister or himself take the fall for their curiosity.

The Malfoys peeked through a crack in the door as the students all froze and stared from the Golden Trio to the wall to the cat hanging by her tail. Filch appeared then and began howling. Draco couldn't help the small snort when the caretaker began accusing Harry of killing the cat. Then the Professors showed up and dispersed the crowd. Draco gulped and put a hand over Bella's mouth.

"We don't want to get involved." He hissed in her ear. Bella elbowed him in the ribs but Draco didn't let go of her. He was just hoping the Headmaster would force the Gryffindors to go to his office so that she and Draco could avoid getting detected. Of course ever since Bella became friends with the Gryffindors, fate had to be a jerk. Fate came in the form of Ron stuttering out, "--J-just ask Bella--oi where did she go!" Ron asked, looking around with round blue eyes. Bella made to move but Draco held her back.

"Wether Bella was here or not is irrelvant." Snape said making Draco grateful the man was their godfather. It paid off in situations like this. "She perhaps left when the Headmaster ordered everyone to their houses."

"Oh I don't think she's gone far Severus." Dumbledore replied in that tone that made Draco groan both aloud and mentally. "Bella, I doubt that broom cupboard is very comfortable." Draco groaned again as he and Bella walked out of the closet.

"What were you doing in there!" Ron asked making Draco sneer at him.

"I was trying to save my sister from your contaigious bad luck Weasley." Draco scoffed making Ron scowl.

"Miss Malfoy, Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore greeted. "Will you five please come with me?" He asked. It was really a command though so Draco had no choice but to follow the teachers and the distraught Filch to Lockhart's office where the teachers began an examination of the stiff cat.

"I am going to kill you for this Weasley." Draco hissed as they sat down out of the teacher's way. "Why must your brood always cause Bella problems?"

"Draco, shush." Bella said poking him. "It wasn't Ron's fault. I caught up with Hermione and we followed Harry because--er..." Bella turned to Harry who gave a small shake. She understood and sat quietly, pinching Draco when he tried to pry.

"She's not dead Argus." Dumbledore finally said to Filch who gulped down a sob and looked at his cat.

"She's not? But then why is she all stiff?"

"She has been Petrified." Dumbledore explained and Lockhart blustered on about how he'd thought so. "But how I cannot say..."

"Ask him!" Filch said pointing menacingly at Harry.

"But Mrs. Norris was like that when we got there!" Bella butt in.

"What were you doing up here though?" Severus asked in his stern fatherly tone that made Bella duck her head and toy with her necklaces.

Harry bit his lip then hurried forward. Bella was always trying to save him, it was about time he returned the favor. "Er Bella was talking to Hermione about something. We were heading to the common room and er.."

"I needed to stop at the loo." Hermione interjected, blushing but looking ahead at Snape steadily. "Bella offered to come with me because--well it's Moaning Myrtle's bathroom." She said as if that explained something. The boys looked baffled but Bella nodded, picking up the tale.

"Yes and well we saw Mrs. Norris and I screamed." Bella looked sheepish but Draco knew that was because Severus was giving her a doubtful look.

"And we weren't that far away so when we heard her we came running and bumped into Malfoy who was looking for Bella." Ron said, turning to Draco who nodded, doing his best to look honest.

"That's how we found the writing on the wall and the cat." Draco decided, figuring everything was shot to hell anyway. Bella sent him a grateful look.

The teachers looked from one face to the other while the five tried looking as if this was the utter truth. Thankfully they didn't have to try to hard because the teachers turned back to the Petrified cat.

"I believe it is obvious that Bella and her friends were merely in the wrong place at the wrong time." Severus said now, making Bella and Draco relax.

The teachers discussed more about how the cat could have been Petrified before they were finally dismissed. Draco followed Bella and the Gryffindors out the door, stopping on the landing leading upstairs.

"Okay tell me the complete truth." Draco hissed, making sure Severus wasn't around. "What exactly made you go towards that place?"

Harry exchanged a look with Hermione and Ron. Ron shook his head once but Draco nearly growled and grabbed Harry's robes. "Listen Potter, you keep getting my little sister into all sorts of trouble. If you don't tell me right now I'll tell Severus you dragged Bella there against her will and he'll believe me. You know he will."

"Draco!" Bella snapped, pulling him away from Harry.

"All right." Harry said quietly. "I heard a voice." He said, making both Malfoy's stare at him. "I heard it talking about killing and blood but neither Ron nor Hermione could hear it."

Silence ran between them for a few seconds before Draco dropped his head and forced a deep breath from his nose. Bella worried when he stood there for nearly a minute only breathing. Finally Draco lifted his stormy grey eyes to lock with Harry's green gaze and he jabbed a finger hard into his chest. "If you get her into another problem like the Sorcerer's stone, I won't rest until I've hexed you and Transfigured you into a tadpole." Draco promised.

"So you believe I really heard a voice?" Harry asked, looking unexpectedly relieved. Draco snorted violently which made Bella giggle.

"Of course Potter. I've always thought you were unbalanced." Draco replied, turning and taking Bella's hand to lead her downstairs.

"Night." Bella said softly, casting Harry an apologetic look. Harry just shook his head and led his friends upstairs.

Somehow, Draco Malfoy admitting he thought Harry was crazy made Harry feel a lot better.

------------------------------------------------

Ron spluttered and spat out bits of his lunch while he pointed at Bella who was holding, _Hogwarts, A History_. Bella wrinkled her nose as she flicked off some half-chewed bits from her book's cover before breathing deeply.

"You know the story about the Chamber of Secrets?" Ron repeated once his mouth was clear of mess.

"Yes I do. Severus told my Mama who told me and Draco when we were younger. And it's in _Hogwarts, A History_." Bella said, cracking the book open. "Would you like to hear it?"

"Yes please!"

Bella laughed when she noticed it wasn't just her friends who had replied. She settled down into her seat more comfortably. Truthfully she only opened the book for effect. She had the story memorized by now.

"Well you all know how Hogwarts was founded, over a thousand years ago, by the four greatest witches and wizards of that age. Our Houses are named after them. Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin." Bella paused when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Draco nodded down at her to continue. "They built Hogwarts here of all places so that it would be far from the eyes of Muggles, who were vastly ignorant back then and believed all magic evil. Kind of like my grandparents." Bella pouted before returning to her tale.

"For a while everything was good. The founders sought out those children who showed magical promise and brought them here to train. But then disagreements sprang up between the Founders. Mainly between Slytherin and the others. See, Slytherin wanted to be more selective of the students. In other words, he wanted only pureblood children. He had his reasons for it. In a time when Muggles would persecute anyone claiming to be magic, he considered the Muggleborns untrustworthy. Then there came the biggest argument of all. After that Slytherin left the school."

"Now according to the legend, Slytherin built a chamber before he left, which the other founders never knew about. He sealed it and made it so that no one but his true heir would be able to open it. His heir would be able to unseal the Chamber and unleash the horror within. Using that the Heir would purge the school of all those Slytherin thought unworthy to learn magic." Bella pushed her bangs out of her face.

"Many say it doesn't exist." Draco said after allowing the hush that had fallen to stretch out. "Plenty of headmasters and headmistresses have searched for it and never found a thing. But then again, if I were Slytherin I would have made certain that only my heir would find it. So the only question really is not if it exists, but what's inside it that could get rid of Mudbloods."

"Draco." Bella reached up to flick his forehead.

"Sorry, it just came out." Draco said in a very dismissive tone, ignoring the harsh looks from many of the students around him. Harry stared at him seriously though.

"Has it ever just come out when Mireya's around?" He asked, eyes narrowing. Draco matched his glare with a spectacular one of his own.

"Listen and listen good Potter, I'm only going to say this once." Draco said in a clear calm tone that contrasted with the storm in his eyes. "I think you are all no more _and_ less than the dirt beneath my shoes. What Bella sees in you I'll never understand. How you can be so popular will baffle me for eternity. The only reason I don't go around calling Granger a Mudblood or Weasley worse things than a poor idiot is because it hurts Bella's feelings. But never, _never_ think that I don't love Mireya or Bella. They're my family. They're two of the four people I trust with my life." Draco glared at Harry for one more second then tugged on Bella's sleeve. "Come on Bella we have History."

Bella packed away her book and sent them all a very serene look. "I'll see you all later, yes?"

"Yeah Bell. See you later." Harry replied. Bella nodded once more then turned and left the hall with Draco, chatting happily enough by his side.

Once they were outside Bella paused and turned to Draco who stared back at her patiently. Bella knew what her brother turly was like in reality. He was cruel to others, he made them hurt by spreading rumors and creating embarrassing situations. When he saw a Muggleborn he sneered and called them Mudbloods in his mind. He could be a bully and not care. But he took care of her and loved her because she was his sister. As selfish as it might sound, she was happy with that. She didn't need Draco to be a complete saint.

"You're not mad?" Draco asked her, making sure she wasn't preparing a rant.

"Nuh-uh." Bella said, hugging him. "You said so in there, you can control yourself and you do it well. That's all I can ask for." The two set off once more for the History classroom. "Besides, you wouldn't be my big brother if you didn't have a bit of a mean streak in you."

Draco chuckled. Leave it to Bella to find his mean streak endearing. He pat her head then started telling her about his Quidditch practices, making Bella beam at him with pride. For the moment all worries about bad words and strange secret chambers left their minds.

* * *

**_End chappy. Sorry for being so tardy! Really I am! I'll try harder to be more speedy! Thanks for reading! _**


	10. Turns for the Worse

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) _**

**_You know if I owned HP I wouldn't be bothering with college. But alas HP belongs to J.K. Rowling so off to school I go. (weeps)_**

**_--------------_**

**_Part Two_**

**_--------------_**

**_Chapter Ten: Turns for the Worse _**

**_-------------_**

Harry smiled as Bella flew alongside him. She was a very good flier which made him question why she didn't join her Quidditch team.

"Because I would only want one position." Bella said as they hovered in the air. "But that position would make me have to fly against you." Her eyes glittered as she dove and Harry followed after her with a laugh. They had both needed to clear their heads and had found each other in the pitch. They'd argued good-naturedly for a few minutes before they just agreed to share the space. He'd never seen her fly like this. Sure she had flown a bit during their time in the Burrow but they'd had to be careful so that no one from the village saw them. Here though, she was free to show off. She was amazing too. She could keep up with him which was surprising. Draco couldn't no matter how much he tried.

"Hey, what's that sound?" She asked when they paused again. Harry listened then groaned.

"Colin..."

"Colin?"

Harry nodded towards the stands and Bella turned to find a eager-looking first year snapping pictures. Bella turned to Harry with a grin and Harry pouted at her. Normally he wouldn't pout but Bella wouldn't laugh at him or hold that against him. He was sure.

"I'm guessing he's been snapping photos of you often?" She asked which just made Harry groan again and drop his head. She laughed and pushed his shoulder lightly to get him to look up. "Well come on, might as well make a show." She grinned mischievously. "You're it!" She called before speeding away on the brand new Nimbus Draco had gotten for her. Harry grinned and shot off after her. The clicking and flashes from Colin's camera were brushed aside as they looped and spiraled, dove and rose, zig-zagged and chased each other all over the pitch until they finally had enough.

"Well that should have given him plenty." Harry muttered as they headed towards the pitch entrance. Bella laughed, sitting side-saddle on her broom as she glided along beside him. Harry smirked as he thought that if she had on her school hat she'd look just like a witch in those old Muggle shows he used to sneak peeks at during Halloween at the Dursleys. Bella caught him grinning and tipped her head thoughtfully.

"What?" She asked making Harry shake his head.

"Nothing. Come on, dinner should be served soon and Malfoy's probably wondering why you're taking so long."

"Hehe Draco worries too much."

"Yeah well he does overdo everything." Harry muttered making Bella shake her head. Sadly she couldn't completely disagree.

--------------------

Bella was heading up to the library to meet Hermione when she heard someone behind her. Turning she found herself staring at little Colin Creevey. "Can I help you?" She asked him sweetly. He blushed but nodded, his eyes on the ground. "What is it?"

"You're a Slytherin." Creevey said. Bella nodded. "But you're Harry's girlfriend." Bella felt her face flame up.

"No no! I'm not his girlfriend!" She said shaking her head wildly, making Creevey laugh. "I'm just his friend. My mama knew his parents. That's all." She finished muttering, her eyes on her feet.

"Oh. Well. Here." He said and handed her a picture. Bella took it and the blush died a little as she watched her and Harry racing neck and neck around the pitch. "I thought you might like it." Creevey said blushing again and looking down at his feet.

Bella smiled and reached out to pat his head making him look up at her with wide eyes. "Thank you!" She chirped and watched him nod then practically run off. She looked down at the picture and smiled even more. "You know, I should get more pictures. I need to start recording my years with my friends." She told herself as she tucked the photo away gently and then hurried to meet Hermione for their study session.

--------------------

Draco scowled as Bella entered the hospital wing and stared at the bed hidden behind the curtains.

"Bella, what are we doing here?" He asked yet again. It was empty in the hospital wing except for Creevey. The news of his attack had spread like fire. Bella had been oddly affected by it. Draco didn't understand why but he'd come along anyway.

"I need to see..." She said and walked over to the curtains. She pushed them open and took a shuddering breath. Draco cringed as well. Creevey was just lying there, like a statue, glassy eyes staring unseeingly at the ceiling, mouth frozen in horrified awe. He looked away and tugged Bella away from the bed as well. He pulled her out into the hallway, scowling when she began to cry silently.

"Why did you do that!?" He groaned, wiping at her face. "You didn't need to. He wasn't your problem!" Draco really hated when Bella cried.

Bella sniffled and dried her tears. "But he's so small looking Draco...and he was only trying to see Harry..." Bella shivered. "It scares me Draco. Whatever's in here is scaring me." She whispered as Draco led her further away. He cuddled her and comforted her as much as he could but he just couldn't understand. What would trouble Bella so deeply like this? Sure he was just as paranoid about the Chamber of Secrets as the next bloke, but this really had Bella fearful.

_What could it be?_

-----------------

It was glowing again. Bella frowned at the ruby charm that had saved her skin last year. It glowed randomly these days. Mostly at night. Sometimes when she passed Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Always when she was alone.

Right now she was making her way from the Gryffindor library, alone. She and the Golden Trio had been discussing who could possibly have it in for the Muggleborns and who could have opened the Chamber of Secrets. Ron brought up Draco for all of two seconds. Bella had given him such a hurt look that he'd retracted his insensitive comment quickly. She had actually been expecting him to bring it up sooner but was surprised and pleased he'd refrained so long. She took it as a sign of their strengthened friendship.

Now here she was, on the landing between the fourth and third floor. The Scepter was glowing brightly, warmly and yet warningly. Bella sighed, shaking her head. "You know it's pointless to glow like this when I have no idea what you mean." She told the ruby as it continued to give off a soft pink light.

She hopped onto the next staircase, worrying that she might be caught out in the halls. She'd cut it close to curfew so now she had best hurry.

It was as she was passing Moaning Myrtle's bathroom that the charm began to glow brighter. Bella paused right outside the door then turned, facing the Out of Order sign. "What is it?" She asked softly. Her hand came up and hesitated before pushing the door open and stepping into the lavatory. It was dark with small beams of moonlight coming in through the dirty windows. She was about to light her wand when a shuffling sound caught her attention.

"Myrtle?" She asked softly, her voice echoing. The shuffling noise came again. Bella was about to turn towards it when suddenly a voice hissed at her and she was sent flying backwards out of the bathroom to land in the hallway, right under the shining red words. She groaned. Her head was pounding. She saw someone come out of the bathroom but her sight was swimming with pained tears. She couldn't make the person out. A hiss filled her ears before she felt something else hit her. Bella tried to hang on, to do something to get herself help but she was feeling so heavy... With a sigh she laid her head back and passed out.

---------------------

Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurried to the hospital wing after their morning classes the next day. They couldn't believe it. Someone had attacked Bella. Right in Myrtle's bathroom! Draco hadn't been seen all day. He'd refused to leave Bella alone in the hospital wing.

As they entered the wing they relaxed. Bella was sitting up in bed, her head bandaged and her right arm was in a sling. She was frowning at Draco who was holding up a bit of chicken alfredo speared on a fork.

"I can feed myself fine." She huffed at her brother who cocked a perfect eyebrow then gestured to the spill of alfredo sauce on her hospital gown. She blushed but still turned her head away from the fork.

"Good old Bell." Harry chuckled as he and the others plopped onto the bed beside her.

"Harry! Ron! Hermione!" Bella cheered. "How are you?"

Ron snorted. "We should be asking you that." He gestured to her bandages and she giggled.

"I'm perfectly fine. Pomfrey was just making a fuss. And so was Draco." She turned her silvery glare onto her brother who just returned it with his own. "He seems to think I've forgotten how to feed myself."

"It's not that. It's the fact that you're rubbish at using untensils left handed. I'd rather get your lunch in you than on you." He replied and pressed the fork towards her again. She sighed but finally caved. Only because she was starving.

"How long have you been awake?" Hermione asked now, looking Bella over critically.

"About two hours." Bella replied.

There was a minute of silence while Draco fed Bella more of her lunch. She took the cup from Draco and sipped her milk before turning to the Golden Trio. "What? No questions? No speculations? Nothing?" She pouted playfully. "I'm a little hurt."

"Oh Bella! We've been thinking about it all day! We just didn't want to push you!" Hermione burst out. Bella laughed and nodded at the words.

"Hehe it's okay. I know. I was just teasing." Bella then grew serious. "I don't remember much."

"What were you doing there though?" Harry demanded, glaring at her sternly. Bella shrugged.

"I honestly don't know. My charm just started glowing and well curiosity got the best of me." Bella muttered, grinning sheepishly. Harry continued to glare at her making her blush and look away. "OKay I get it. It was stupid to go into a haunted bathroom on my own. Can you stop glaring?" Harry sighed and his gaze softened.

"Sorry Bell. I just don't like seeing my friends bandaged up." He said making her smile at him.

"I'll be perfectly fine. My head isn't hurting as bad as it did earlier and my arm feels fine. I bet I'll be out by dinner."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Madame Pomfrey said bustling over to check Bella. "Now all of you out. Go on, get lunch. Miss Malfoy will still be here after your classes. You too Mr. Malfoy. She's awake and well. Go on now." Draco scowled but the Mediwitch just stared back until they'd all left the wing.

Bella leaned back in her bed once she finished her lunch. She stared out the window with a sigh. Who had been in the bathroom and why had they attacked her? She reached for the charm around her neck and choked when she realized she didn't have it on.

"What's wrong?" Pomfrey asked when Bella began throwing her covers and pillows around.

"My necklace! Where is it? Did it fall off?" Bella's eyes sought the nurse's who was sighing.

"I'm sorry dear." Pomfrey said, reaching into her apron and pulling out the familiar delicate chain. She opened her fist and Bella gasped.

Glittering in her hand was the charm, broken into three neat pieces.

Pomfrey tipped them into Bella's hands. "I tried every repairing spell I know off dear. It just wouldn't mend itself." Bella closed her hands around the pieces and let Pomfrey help her onto her bed, pulling the covers and pillows back onto the mattress. The witch left the girl for a moment to check on Colin Creevey before heading into her office. Bella just stared at the ruby pieces.

So that's what that second hit had been aimed at. Her charm. Had the person who attacked her seen it glowing and thought maybe it was a weapon of sorts? Or had they just destroyed it to be on the safe side? Or had it gotten caught in the middle of the second hit and just been broken as a result?

Whatever had happened she'd lost the Scepter of Hogwarts. She had a very bad feeling settling into her gut now. She felt fear crowding in all around her. She'd thought she could count on the charm's power to keep her safe. To keep Draco and her friends safe. Now what would she do to protect them?

Bella knew it wasn't her job to protect them. But she wanted to. She wanted to keep them safe from everything. Especially whatever was plauging their school. She shut her hand over the pieces, shaking her head.

"It's gone. No use crying over it." She told herself. "I just have to find another way to protect them." She nodded, then set the pieces on her bedside table. She pulled her History textbook out of her bag and set to write her essay on the International Warlock Convention. "I'm not going to let fear win. I just won't!"

--------------------

Bella was let out the next day. People kept coming up to her asking for the details but Crabbe and Goyle took up their bodyguard duties and scared them off. Although the students reactions was nothing compared to the teachers.

Flitwick gave her some review work to do while the others practiced the new charm. Sprout had her work on pruning some belladona plants instead of 'straining herself'.

"It's bizzare." Bella said as she sat with the Gryffindors. "Why are they being so nice? I mean, getting hurt at Hogwarts is nothing special."

"During a normal year maybe but this year..." Hermione said and trailed off.

"Hey...where's your charm?" Harry asked suddenly. He'd gotten used to seeing the glint of that charm. Bella wore it as often as her music charm and her cross.

Bella sighed and pulled the broken charm out of her pocket.

"I think the person who hurt me broke it with one of their spells." Bella told them. "It was glowing so maybe they thought it was something important."

"It was something important." Hermione breathed, staring at the broken charm like it was a mangled book.

Bella nodded then shrugged. "It's all right though. I don't need it." She looked at each of her Gryffindor friends with a determined look in her eyes. "I'll just find some other way to take care of all of you." She smiled brightly. Ron and Harry shared a look while Hermione beamed but shook her head.

"You should focus on yourself Bella." Hermione told her. Bella nodded but Hermione knew it would do no good. Bella could be so stubborn.

During DADA Bella's patience was worn when Lockhart fussed over her, saying it was a shame he'd not been there, that he knew the exact countercurse, that yadda yadda yadda.

By the end of the day Bella was worn out from all the attention and questions and fussing. She just wanted to take a nice long nap. Draco took her to the Slytherin common room and left her curled up on a couch.

That's where she was when the door opened and Severus entered with Dumbledore. Bella sat up straighter, placing her book on the coffee table. Dumbledore took a seat across from her while Severus stood next to her, his hand on the armrest.

"Miss Malfoy." Dumbledore said with a smile. "I'm happy to see you fully recovered. Mireya will be returning from the Healers Convention in a few hours." Bella nodded. Mireya had sent her a letter which had been mostly in Spanish due to her agitation. Bella had replied telling her she was perfectly all right and that Pomfrey had taken good care of her. She knew her mother's work was more important than a little incident.

Of course Mireya wouldn't see it as a little incident. Which once again brought up the fact that Bella had been extremely sheltered before Hogwarts.

"How are you feeling?" Severus asked her.

"Fine. A little tired but fine." She replied. Then she turned to Dumbledore with an apologetic look. "I really am sorry professor, but I still can't remember much except the basic details."

"That is understandable. I was more concerned with your health." Albus replied. Bella smiled then frowned as she dug around in her pocket.

"I think this got broken when I was attacked." She said and held out her palm to show the glittering ruby pieces. "I've tried using it but...it won't work anymore." And as she tipped the pieces into the headmaster's palm, they changed into silver metal and cracked ruby pieces. Dumbledore stared at them while Bella looked at the beautiful weapon she'd had. It had so much power! It had given her the strength to push Tom Riddle from her mind. It had protected her and Harry and Draco. Something in her was more than a little sad to see it damaged.

"The Scepter of Hogwarts was always the lesser known weapon." Dumbledore said. "It was like a shield. A protective item. Meant to save instead of destroy." Dumbledore looked up from the pieces to look at Bella with a warm smile. "You are such an item as well Miss Malfoy. Meant to save instead of destroy. Remember that." Bella blinked at him but nodded all the same. He stood up, pocketing the broken pieces. "I wish you well." He added before he swept out of the dungeons. Bella stared at the door before turning to Severus who was also glaring at the Slytherin entrance.

"What did he mean by that?" Bella asked her father-figure. Severus reached down to pet her hair while she leaned into him wearily.

"I've learned it's best to not linger on that question when it comes to Albus Dumbledore." He replied, his lips quirking into a rare grin. Bella giggled and nodded. Yes. Best not to dwell on a Dumbledore riddle.

---------------------------

Bella yawned as they stood listening to Lockhart blather on about defense and dueling. She was really starting to hope he was the next one Petrified. Just to get him to shut up about his 'grand achievements'. She knew those were horrible thoughts to have when little Colin Creevey lay upstairs right now, frozen in time.

"Now Harry," Lockhart was saying. Bella bit her lip as Severus whispered in Harry's ear. Severus loved any excuse to be mean to harry and this was a perfect opportunity.

"Scared?" Draco couldn't stop himself from taunting Harry.

"You wish." Harry shot back, seeing Bella from the corner of his eye. He hadn't wanted to fight with Malfoy, it upset his friend whenever they got into it. But Snape was an evil snake so at least Harry could blame him for this."

"Three--two--one--go!" Lockhart shouted.

Draco raised his wand and shouted, "_Serpensortia_!" A long black snake appeared in front of Harry who froze. It wasn't like the boa contrictor of long ago, it was a deadly looking cobra.

"Don't move Potter." Severus said lazily. "I'll get rid of it--"

"Allow me!" Lockhart shouted and waved his wand at the snake. It flew high into the air and then landed back on the stage with a hiss. Its beady black eyes trained on Bella who stood frozen at it slithered towards her.

"Bella!" Draco and Severus shouted while Harry ran forward, shouting at the snake.

"Leave her alone!"

The snake fell limp, looking at Harry docilely. Bella's wide eyes were on Harry, one hand on her mouth.

"What're you playing at Potter!?" Draco shouted, jumping off the stage and whisking Bella away before Harry could blink.

Bella was shocked. She let Draco drag her all the way back to their common room.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Draco kept asking. Bella shook her head. "Did he scare you?" Draco asked. Bella shook her head again.

"No...but...Harry.... A Parselmouth.... Parseltongue..." Bella shook her head once more to clear it. "It was just surprise. Oh poor Harry..."

"Poor Potter?" Draco spit out. "He egged that snake on--"

"Egged it on? But Draco it stopped moving when he spoke to it--"

"And it nearly snapped at you!"

"But it didn't because...well Harry must have told it to stop..."

Draco just gaped at Bella. "You don't know that!"

"Yes I do..." Draco stared at his little sister who was giving him her most sincere stare. "Harry's my friend Draco. He wouldn't hurt me. Not on purpose."

Draco just gave in, falling onto the couch beside her.

"You have way too much confidence in Potter Bella." Draco narrowed his eyes as Bella looked over at him.

"I told you. He reminds me of you in some ways." Bella said, getting up and kissing his cheek before heading to her dorm, yawning.

------------------------------

"You're not afraid of me too are you?" Harry asked as Bella approached him the following day. Bella giggled.

"Who could ever be afraid of a silly Gryffindor?" She teased making Harry grin then pout playfully.

"Your Malfoy is showing." He warned her before they both laughed, falling onto a bench in a deserted hallway. They were silent for a long time before Bella turned to Harry. "Are you afraid?" She asked Harry making him jump a little. He grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Not so much." Harry said until he saw Bella arching a fine eyebrow at him. "Okay a lot more than I'm letting on." He recanted. Bella nodded once before reaching out to take his hand in hers.

"Don't be." Bella told him. "You're a Gryffindor for a reason you know. Your blood is scarlet and gold." She assured him with a wink.

Harry had to laugh. "Bell, you always know what to say." Harry grinned. Bella smiled then turned to look at the snow building up on the window behind them.

"That's the only thing I can do right now Harry." She told him with a soft sigh. "With my charm gone, I'm just a regular student again. Not a powerful protector."

Harry blinked at her. His eyes narrowed slightly. "No one said you have to be my protector." Bella laughed at his annoyed face. "I'm serious. I don't want you protecting me."

"Why not?" Bella asked. "Because I'm Slytherin?"

"That has nothing to do with it." Harry grumped, standing so that he loomed over the Slytherin girl. "I don't want you getting hurt. So that means you can't protect me." Harry clarified. Bella stared then giggled once more, standing up so they were face to face once more.

"Harry..." Bella said firmly, all laughter gone from her face. Her eyes were mercury once more while she took his hand in her own. "Harry, I promised myself I'd be a good friend to you no matter what. To me that means being useful to you." Harry frowned. No doubt this was some insane Slytherin logic she'd grown up with. "Being useful can translate into anything. Making you cheerful again, standing by you when everyong else won't, believing that you're telling the truth...and protecting you when you have need of it." Bella's mercury gaze left Harry's face to return once more to the window. "I have a bad feeling Harry. Something very bad is happening. And you're going to be hurt by it in some way or other."

"Bell..." Harry couldn't think of anything to say. No one had ever said anything like that to him. Not even Ron or Hermione. It meant a lot to him that Bella would. "Thanks." He finally muttered. Bella smiled once more, her eyes shining silver.

"You're one of my first friends Harry, I'm going to take very good care of you." She promised, leading the way down the halls. Harry blushed but grinned brightly at her. Bella smiled back then turned her attention to the hallway, content evident on her face. Harry felt the anger from his earlier confrontation with the Hufflepuffs vanishing along with his worry. Bella was good at cheering him up.

"Oh! Hello Hagrid." Harry said when they turned a corner and ran into a very large and solid object. The friendly giant turned to them.

"All righ' you two? Why aren't you in class?" Hagrid asked them, lifting his balaclava up.

"Herbology was cancalled and I just didn't feel like going to Charms." Bella replied with a grin. "Don't worry, I'll make it up." She added as Hagrid frowned at her. "I ran into Harry and got him talking but I'll go right to Flitwick to get my work. Promise." Bella smiled brightly making Hagrid push the issue aside. "So what're you doing here?" She asked. Hagrid held up a dead rooster.

"Second one killed this term." He told her. "I need the headmaster's permission ter put a charm around the hen coop."

"Ohh. Well we better get going Hagrid. Harry has class soon and I have to get to Flitwick." Bella said. Hagrid bid them goodbye then the two kids headed off down the hall once more. They went up a few stairs in silence then turned one more time. Bella spotted them first, her hands moving up to her mouth as she gasped. Harry turned from her to look down the corridor...

There lay Nearly Headless Nick, black and smoky, and Justin Finch-Fletchey, shocked and Petrified.

"Harry..." Bella breathed as a door banged open and Peeves appeared.

"It's wee Potty." Peeves bouncing backwards. "Ohhh! And Malfoy's pet sister." Peeves added. Usually this would have annoyed Bella but the scene before her was too...shocking. "Why're you in the corridors? What're you---" Peeves stopped bouncing long enough to see the Petrified ghost and student before he filled his lungs with air and began shouting. Bella and Harry were pushed against the wall as students and staff came pouring out of their rooms. She grasped his hand tightly in her own as they stepped backward.

"You can mix with the crowd." Harry was telling her out of the corner of his mouth. "Move over." Bella shook her head.

"I won't." She muttered forcefully just as Ernie Macmillan appeared, pointing his finger at Harry and shouting "Caught in the act!"

"Shut up!" Bella shouted at him as McGonagall rounded on the Hufflepuff. "Harry didn't do it! I was with him this whole time!" Harry groaned as she stated this. Now people were looking at her oddly.

"Great...you love getting yourself into problems don't you?" Harry asked her as McGonagall made Ernie fan the ghost upstairs before rounding on them.

"Professor he didn't--" Bella began but McGonagal shook her head once.

"This is out of my hands. Both of you, come along." She said, leading them through the school. Harry felt a dead weight settling into his stomach before Bella squeezed his hand. She was looking grave but determined. She really wasn't letting him face this alone. No matter how much trouble it got her into.

"Thanks." Harry whispered as they arrived at a gargoyle to whom McGonagall told the password to.

"It's what friends are for." Bella replied, before stepping onto the revolving staircase that took them up to Dumbledore's office.

--------------------------

Christmas holidays couldn't have come faster in Draco's opinion. No way could Potter and his sidekicks get Bella into any more trouble over the holidays. Draco had been hopping mad when he'd returned to the common room to find Bella being scolded by Severus for skipping Charms, hanging out in the corridors alone, and then getting into trouble because of Harry. Bella had merely sat there in silence, nodding and shaking her head when necessary.

Draco had wanted to scold her once Severus was gone. He'd wanted to curse Potter's brain into treacle and feed it to a troll. But he hadn't. He'd restrained himself. Instead of shouting he'd taken Bella to the spare room and sat with her.

"Why are you bothering?" He'd asked simply.

"Because Harry doesn't have anyone like I do." Bella had replied.

"He's got the Weasleys and Granger."

"He's lonely right now."

"Again, he's got Weasleys and Granger."

".....I don't know...." Bella muttered, curling up beside her brother. "I just...can't help it."

Draco sighed, dropping his head. He wasn't going to point out what this meant because Bella would only deny it. But he would give her a nice chunk of his mind. "Listen Bella, I can understand you wanting to take care of him. But really, you should focus on watching out for yourself. I mean, _you were_ the one who was actually attacked. What if your attacker makes a repeat attempt hmm? How do you think I'd feel about that?" Bella gasped then hugged him tightly making Draco sigh once more. He pet her head while shaking his. "You're one very crazy sister Bella."

"I get it from Mama." Bella replied making Draco laugh.

"Wherever it comes from, I wish it would go back." Bella laughed now.

"I'll try not to get into more trouble." She promised. Draco held out his pinky which made her grin. They hadn't made a pinky promise in forever. She hooked her pinky with his, nodding twice. "I really will try." She assurred him.

"That's all I can ask for. Considering you're _so_ stubborn."

"I get that from you."

"Pft. From _me_?"

"Mmhm!" Bella replied making Draco splutter while she laughed brightly.

--------------------

Bella was just headed down to meet Draco at the gates--they were going to the Manor for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day--when she heard crying coming from Myrtle's bathroom. She'd been avoiding it ever since her attack, mostly because Draco nor the Gryffindors would let her anywhere near it. That and she was a bit more than a little afraid of the general area. But she couldn't very well ignore weeping could she?

Deciding that she sloshed through the water and slipped into the bathroom. "Myrtle?" She asked, stepping further into the room.

"Who's that?" Myrtle asked, miserably. "Come to throw something else at me?"

Bella tipped her head thoughtfully. "Why would I throw something at you Myrtle?"

"Don't ask me. Here I was thinking about death and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me..." Myrtle replied pointing at a spot in the sloshing water.

"Who threw it at you?" Bella asked splashing her way over.

"I don't know. I was just sitting on the U-bend and it fell right through my head." Myrtle said as Bella found it. Her eyes widened when she found out what book was. The diary she'd found in the Malfoy vault.

Without another word to Moping Myrtle, Bella left the bathroom. Only one person had this diary and she wondered why Ginny had tried to flush it.

Now Ginny may be many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. Bella headed up to Gryffindor tower, intent on cornering the girl and demanding answers. When she reached the corridor however she stopped. Ginny would want it back if she saw Bella had it, wouldn't she? Especially if she'd written in it. Bella hadn't checked to see if she had. However...being a Slytherin...Bella felt her lips curl into a Malfoy smirk. If she had written in it, then Bella could just hold it all ransom. She was still stung that Ginny would steal from her. So revenge was in order. She turned, heading down to the dungeons, humming happily to herself.

-------------------

Bella dried the book, used lots of spells and items to find some hidden writing or something...but nothing was revealed. She lay on her bed, flipping the dry pages. Why would Ginny flush an empty book? Shrugging Bella pulled out the Muggle pen she used for her short stories. She could use this diary from now on, it would still worry Ginny no doubt. Maybe she'd found a way to hide her written thoughts? Who knew? Bella smiled as she began writing a new story about vampires and a female heroine who saved a sacred treasure. But as she wrote the words of the first paragraph the ink began to fade. To her amazement the page swallowed the ink in a blink. Flipping the pages Bella saw it didn't get leeched onto the other pages. Going back to the page she was working on, she saw words forming.

_What is this? _

Bella blinked. Then she penned a reply. _It's the beginning of a story._

_Really? Hmm...interesting. _

_Sorry...I didn't know this diary was...er...being used. _

_Heh... Do not worry. I am merely a memory preserved in these pages. I take it this is not Ginny Weasley I am speaking to? _

_No.... This is Bella Malfoy.... _Bella paused then wrote down a bit more. _Ginny acutally stole this diary from me. I did not know it was enchanted. _

_Neither did she... You sound more mature than Miss Weasley. _

_I should, I'm a year old and a Slytherin. _

_....A Slytherin? _

_Yes. Very proud of it as well. _

_I was one too.... My name is Tom Riddle. _

_A pleasure to meet you Mr. Riddle._

_Please...call me Tom. _

_All right...Tom. _

Bella spent the next few hours writing with Tom, writing bits of her stories for him to critique, telling him all about Slytherin House and a little about the attacks.

"Bella!" Draco called barging into the girl's dormitory. "Bella!" He huffed at her.

"What?" She asked looking up from the diary.

"Potter's out in the common room." Bella blinked.

"How'd Harry get in here?"

"He tricked Crabbe into saying the password then dashed in and now he won't go away." Draco whined making Bella giggle.

"I'll be there in a second, let me just finish this." She said. Draco saw an open journal and words. Unlike others, he didn't ask. He just assumed it was another story he'd read later.

"Fine, I'm going to go snarl at him more." Draco replied, leaving in a swish of robes. Bella, still giggling, wrote to Tom.

_My friend Harry is here. I'm going to go see what he wants. _

_Harry Potter? _Bella blinked.

_Yes. How did you--?_

_Miss Weasley is...enamored with a Mr. Harry Potter..._

_Pft...why aren't I surprised? Well I'll talk to you later Tom. _

_Farewell Bella. _

Bella stowed the diary in her pillowcase then bounced out of the room to find Harry and Draco growling at each other. Harry then turned to Bella. He looked agitated. In his hands was his Nimbus. Bella smiled. "I'll get my cloak." She said then, turning back to her dorm to collect her broom and her cloak then hurrying back. The two headed off to the pitch, Bella doing her best to make Harry relax. Lockhart must have cornered him again. Bella wondered for a moment then decided to confide in him that she'd found Riddle's diary in the bathroom. Harry seemed to forget whatever had annoyed him while they began discussing the mystery of the diary.

* * *

**_And that's chappy ten end. I made it shorter cuz I'm breezing through year two and that's going to make for a very short Part Two neh? So please enjoy! Thanks for your patience!_**


	11. Power of Purpose

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) _**

**_I had a vision of Waga Routashi's future. It was totally different from what I was planning but oh so much better! So now with new energy I set myself to give you chappy 11! Thanks for patience and thanks for not hunting my soul and feeding it to a guppy. ^^. Please enjoy!_**

**_You know if I owned HP I wouldn't be bothering with college. But alas HP belongs to J.K. Rowling so off to school I go. (weeps)_**

**_--------------_**

**_Part Two_**

**_--------------_**

**_Chapter Eleven: Power of Purpose_**

**_-------------_**

Seeing Ginny's eyes widen when she spotted Bella showing Ron and Hermione the diary was priceless. This was a revenge most sweet in Bella's mind. Especially considering Ginny choose today to wear her dragonfly barrette.

"And you said you found it in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom?" Hermione asked, rubbing at the dates with a red eraser. Bella had omitted from her explanation the fact that she already knew how to work it. For some reason she wanted to keep Tom private for now at least.

"Yes. Someone tried getting rid of it."

"I wonder why?" Hermione murmured, tapping it with her wand.

Bella pulled the book out of Hermione's reach and slipped it into her robes. "I don't know but I'm going to find out." Bella's eyes lit up. "I love a good mystery." She added making her friends laugh.

"Just be careful Bell." Harry warned, growing serious. "We wouldn't want you ending up in the hospital wing again." Bella nodded, knowing she'd really worried her friends with her trip to the infirmary.

They parted ways on the second floor, the Gryffindors heading up to their common room, the Slytherin girl heading back down to go to her own. She found the way blocked suddenly by a flaming redhead who was very pink in the face.

"Give it back." Ginny said, her brown eyes narrowed. Bella's usually open face became cold and she smirked a Malfoy smirk.

"Give what back?" Bella asked sweetly, taking a step forward.

"My diary." Ginny whispered as some passing students and many portraits began turning to look at them.

"I'll give it back...when you admit you stole this." Bella said, reaching out as if merely fixing Ginny's hair into place, touching the barrette in the process. "_And_ that you stole the diary from me in the first place." Bella added. Her expression was a smile but it was cold. Ginny was fuming. But there was no way she could admit to stealing from Bella Malfoy. "I thought not." Bella said, grey eyes twinkling as she stepped away, her face returning to its normal softness. A smirk lingered on her lips however. She had Ginny Weasley at her mercy. All thanks to Tom Riddle. Bella giggled as she joined Draco a few minutes later in the common room and whispered to him what had occurred. Draco was nothing short of pleased. He loved seeing Bella's Slytherin side.

-------------------

The holidays passed by quietly, with Bella learning more and more about Tom Riddle. He was very pleased not having to deal with a Gryffindor first-year who whined all the time. Bella had learned from him the extent of Ginny's jealousy. She couldn't believe it. When she discussed it with Draco he just snorted and ruffled her hair.

"Bella, I know we never let you out into the world but even you, with all the books you've read, must have come to realize people like the Weaslette are painfully abundant in this world." Draco told her making her stick her tongue out at him.

"Yes but, that doesn't stop me from thinking it's stupid. I haven't done anything to her at all." Bella sighed. "I just don't understand."

"Then don't bother." Draco replied. "She's a jealous Weasel, just let her fade into the background of your mind." Bella nodded, snuggling into her brother.

"With friends must come enemies." She muttered, remembering something Tom had said.

"I couldn't agree more." Draco chuckled.

-------------------

The holidays finally came to an end and they all fell into their classes yet again. Everyone was enjoying the calm that seemed to come after the holidays. It felt like things were finally getting back to normal.

"Oi!" Ron and Harry jumped when a flash of white blinded them for an instant. They looked up from their chess game to look at Bella who was holding a Muggle camera. Grinning Bella pocketed the little device and then giggled.

"What was that about?" Harry asked the girl as she settled onto a couch next to Hermione.

"I got the idea from Colin." Bella said sweetly. "You're my first friends and I haven't got one picture to prove it. So I'm going to start taking them." Bella smiled at them. "Unless you'd rather I not."

Ron and Harry looked at her then grinned.

"You'd better give us copies. Mum will want some when she finds out." Ron said. Bella clapped her hands and then bounced off the couch to hug them both.

"Thank you." Bella said with such emotion that both boys blushed.

"So what're you going to do with the pictures?" Harry asked her, as the girl snapped a few shots of the other Weasleys and the common room.

"Put them in an album of course." Bella replied, snapping separate shots of Harry then Ron then Hermione. Hermione giggled at the girl's enthusiastic clicking.

"Why an album?" Harry wondered. The Slytherin girl smiled softly, her eyes full of a warmth that they could nearly feel.

"Because my memories are the best thing I have." Bella finally told them. "All the money, all the clothes and jewels in the world, couldn't mean as much to me as my memories." She settled back on the couch with her camera on lap. "This year...I just felt like this year..." Bella sighed and tried to speak plainly. "In case anything happens to any one of us. I want to make sure we have something to look back on."

Silence fell over the children at Bella's ominous statement. Hermione put an arm around her shoulders but Bella just kept staring into the flames. She wasn't about to tell them that lately she'd found bits of her memory missing. That would only frighten them more. No...for now she'd just make her memories, before she lost them all.

-----------------

Bella stared down at Tom Riddle's journal. Lately touching it made her stomach churn. She'd shared her feelings with Draco. He wasn't pleased when he discovered exactly what was in the book.

"You _know_ better Bella! You know what Severus always says!" He scolded as he dragged her through the crowded halls towards the nearest empty classroom. "Hasn't he always said to never talk to anything that you can't look in the eye?"

"Yes, I know. But I thought it was just an enchantment. A toy you know?" Bella mumbled. Draco stopped, looking over at Bella then pulling her into a hug.

"I know. I'm sorry. You know I just worry about you getting hurt." Bella nodded, hugging her brother back. Draco pat her head then pulled back and placed his hands on the diary. "I'm going to get rid of this." Draco said. Bella let go of the book and her stomach began to settle down. She sighed with relief, kissing her brother's cheek. He pat her cheek then whisked away.

He knew it was wrong but he had the perfect idea at how to get rid of this thing.

---

"Weasley!" Draco called a few minutes later. The young redhead whirled around, scowling when she saw who it was. Her friends scowled as well but Draco ignored them, keeping a haughty superior look on his face as he shoved the innocent looking book into Ginny's hands.

"What is this?" Ginny asked in shock. Draco sneered then.

"It's a book Weasley. Yours I believe." Draco sneered more when Ginny turned pink-faced. But then he whirled around and hurried away. Let Weaslette deal with the questions. The important thing was that that book wasn't anywhere near his sister. He could give very little of a damn about what happened with the younger Weasley."

---

_Tom! Oh Merlin I was wondering if I'd ever get to talk to you again!_

_....Ginny?_

_Yes! _

_....Ah dear Ginevra, it's good to see you again... _

Ginny smirked as she stretched out on her bed and began scribbling to Tom, demanding to know all of Bella's secrets. Tom however seemed to know very little that could be of use to Ginny. She scowled but thanked Tom for not spilling her secrets.

Secretly Tom Riddle wanted to strangle the girl but...all in due time.

-----------------

February brought a bit more calm considering there hadn't been an attack in ages. Harry, Ron, Hermione noticed that as the mood lifted a bit so did Bella's pessimism. She was taking pictures just for the heck of it. Always at random moments too. Sometimes in class, sometimes between classes, once she even caught Harry and Ron by surprise in their dorm, much to their annoyance. She'd just laughed.

"I'm trying to get all the natural moments I can." She defended herself in her Slytherin way.

"Well next time you want to get a 'natural moment' wait till I've got a shirt on." Ron grumped, finding it hard to be really angry with the girl when she giggled. Ron couldn't help but think of Bella as an adopted sister or a distant but loved relative. She had grown on him by now.

"Aww but then I'll miss all the funny faces you're capable of making." Bella replied, laughing when Ron playfully mused her hair. She stuck her tongue out at the redhead then turned to Harry who was laughing along with Hermione at their friends' antics. "I'll do my best to not surprise you in your dorm." She finally promised. Ron nodded his thanks before messing her hair up more. "Hey!"

All in all they were all feeling much better. Bella had found her memory returned to normal once Draco got rid of the diary. Thankfully he hadn't told Severus. Draco had reasoned that since he was the elder brother and had been able to take care of the situation, then there was no need to worry Severus. Bella had agreed with a smile.

----

"Oh...Merlin." Bella said suddenly as she and Draco walked into the Great Hall on Valentine's Day. Draco too had to stop to stare in utter shock at the pink decorations, the heart-shaped confetti, and then as if of one mind, the siblings looked at each other to utter one single word. "Lockhart."

Draco led the way to the Slytherin table, doing nothing to hide the disgust on his face. Bella sat down and waved her wand at their plates before serving herself and Draco, all the while eyeing the lurid pink flowers and decorations with a distasteful eye. Not that she didn't enjoy Valentine's day, but honestly, you'd think Lockhart would know better than to use just one shade of pink. Now if she'd been allowed to set up a few Valentine's decorations...

"Zephyr!" Bella cheered when her beautiful owl swooped down and landed on top of the table with the small package tied to his leg. After freeing him of it and feeding him bits of bacon Bella opened it to find a note from her mother and a beautiful chocolate rose.

"Ptolemy." Draco said as his eagle owl landed proudly beside Zephyr with a smiliar package adressed to Draco. Narcissa had sent him a slab of imported chocolate from somewhere in India it seemed. Bella giggled as Blaise stole a piece from her brother while she bit into the chocolate rose. She gasped when she felt creamy caramel filling her mouth. With a sigh she relaxed and ignored the lurid decorations in favor of savoring the sweet.

Suddenly she was jerked out of her reverie by a common school owl dropping down in front of her, a card tied to its leg. Curious she untied it and opened it up, feeling her cheeks turn slightly pink.

"What's that Bella?" Draco asked, taking the card without a moments pause. Bella found herself giggling at the look that came over Draco's face once he finished reading the short message.

"It's just a Valentine's card Draco." Bella said, turning the card all over looking for a signature. There was only an initial on the bottom and really that could mean anything. It could refer to first name or surname or even middle name. Bella continued to giggle until two more cards came for her. Draco was breathing deeply while Bella was blushing and Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle just chuckled and poked fun at Draco.

"I'm gonna go say hi to the others." Bella said when she spotted Harry entering the Great Hall. Draco nodded and pulled out his wand but Bella bopped him lightly on the head. "Don't burn my Valentine's cards!" She warned before skipping over to greet her friends.

"Morning!" She said as she settled into a seat beside Hermione who was having a giggle fit.

"Morning Bell. What's going one?" Harry asked. Ron appeared too disgusted to even speak and pointed at the head table where Lockhart was getting up.

"Lockhart's gone mental." Bella said in a deadpan tone as the blonde began to speak.

"And it doesn't end here!" Lockhart was saying now. He clapped and through the doors came a dozen dwarfs. Lockhart had somehow gotten them to agree to wear golden wings and carry harps. "My Friendly card-carrying cupids!" Lockhart explained. "They will be roving around the school delivering your Valentines."

Bella groaned as another couple of owls found her at the Gryffindor table and delivered more Valentines. Hermione began giggling.

"Whoa Bell, what's with all these?" Harry asked, grabbing one and opening it without pausing to ask her permission. Him and Draco were more alike than they'd ever realize, Bella though to herself while Ron and Hermione followed suit and opened her other cards. Bella opened a box to find more chocolates and was about to pop one in her mouth when suddenly the box and the one in her hand vanished. Blinking in surprise she turned to find Severus cocking an eyebrow at her while holding said box. She pouted but then he rolled his eyes and vanished the box entirely.

"Oh honestly." Bella huffed turning back to her Gryffindor friends. "As if someone would poison my chocolates." Bella grumbled. Harry frowned then.

"Well we never thought someone would attack you outside Myrtle's bathroom either." Harry reminded her, making Bella sigh but nod. "We still haven't found anything that would let us figure out who it was." Harry added, glaring at the cards with a fierceness Bella was sure would set them on fire. Reaching out she put her hand over his and smiled when he looked up at her.

"The important thing," Bella said softly, "is that I'm still around right?" Harry nodded and put his other hand over hers, smiling back. Until Hermione cleared her throat and they realized the bell had rung for class. Bella grabbed her cards and hurried away, waving at her friends and promising to join them at lunchtime.

She didn't see them until later while she was just leaving History. She and Draco paused when a commotion halted the traffic of the corridor. Bella couldn't help it and giggled as the dwarf-cupid tackled Harry to the ground and sang him a Valentine. Harry looked over at her, lips in a pout as she helped him to his feet.

"You know you brought it on yourself." Bella told him teasingly as he picked up his things. Harry just threw her a playful scowl then noticed another card peeking out of her bookbag.

"How many of those have you gotten?" Harry asked. Bella blushed and mumbled something under her breath. "Huh?"

"Twenty-bloody-seven." Draco grit out, grabbing Bella's hand. "And they just keep coming!" Draco groaned as a dwarf came up to them and handed Bella another card. Bella dropped her head and felt her blush growing more. Harry just chuckled which caused Bella to stick out her tongue at him before waving and heading off.

As they passed Bella caught Ginny's eye and both girls narrowed their gazes at each other. Ginny hugged her books to her chest and Bella spotted Riddle's diary in her hands. She turned to find Draco was glaring at the redhead as well.

"Draco...why does Ginny have Riddle's diary?" Bella asked, her stomach muscles twitching with the mere mention of the name. Draco smirked, then shrugged.

"I told you I'd get rid of it." Draco replied easily, feeling absolutely no guilt. "If that book makes that uppity redhead go back to being quiet then I don't care." Bella felt a tiny mental shudder go through her. The look in Draco's eyes as he spoke made Bella very glad he'd grown up loving her instead of hating her. She leaned against him and sighed.

"What would I do without you Draco?" She asked, her happiness outweighing the twinge of gulit for leaving that possessed item in the first-year's hands. Draco chuckled and put an arm around her shoulder's tightly.

"Luckily we'll never know the answer to that." He replied. Bella nodded. Luckily, she'd been born a Malfoy.

_Funny, I never expected to think of it like that. _She thought to herself as they went to their next class.

------------------

_Why do I keep coming back here? _Bella asked herself as she slipped into Myrtle's bathroom. She stood there in the moonlight, staring at the cracked mirrors and rusted sinks. Myrtle must have been flushed down the drains because Bella couldn't hear her whimpers and moans. _All the more reason to get out of here. _She told herself, staring at the stalls then at one of the walls where a row of stained glass windows cast speckles of colored light on the floor. _Why don't I listen to Draco?_

"Who's there?" Hissed a voice form a shadowy corner. Bella put a hand to her mouth to stop the need to respond and instead began making her way back to the door. "I can hear you! Show yourself!" Bella shook her head and stumbled as she grabbed the door. "Stop!" Bella was about to throw the door open when she felt herself being frozen from behind. She groaned and waited to be turned around. She found herself facing a hooded figure. "You..." The voice said and Bella felt her heart begin to race. "It was you I attacked..." Her eyes widened then. Without warning the stunning charm was lifted and Bella fell to her knees, staring at the figure in front of her.

"You're the one who attacked me?" Bella asked, marvelling at the fact that her voice was steady albiet quiet.

"Yes..." The figure reached up and Bella flinched from the hand. She blinked when it merely rested on her head. "Hmm...I should Obliviate you--"

"No!" Bella shouted suddenly, slapping the hand away and making a dash for the doors. She barely dodged a jinx as she skidded away from the corridor, stopping only when she tripped and landed sprawled on the first floor landing. Panting she got up shakily, staring behind her. The person hadn't followed but Bella wasn't taking any chances. She ran all the way back to the common room, falling into the room when the wall slide open.

Draco was out of his chair in a second, pulling her to her feet. Bella shuddered and shook her head, clinging to her brother. That had been too damn close!

"Bella! What happened!?" Draco asked as he called for Dobby. Dobby grew distressed upon seeing his little mistress in such a shape but hurried to the kitchens to get tea and a calming draught from Severus. Of course Severus insisted on coming to see them and found Bella shivering on the armchair she had claimed as hers.

"Bella?" He asked once he'd given her the calming draught and the tea. Bella sat silently for a few seconds then sighed deeply.

"I...I ran into the person who attacked me. They were in Myrtle's bathroom again."

"Myrtle's--? Bella! I told you to stay out of there!" Draco nearly shouted in exasperation. His sister bowed her head.

"I can't tell you why I went in there. I just did and I didn't notice the person until too late."

"Who was it?" Severus demanded. Bella shook her head.

"They were hooded. I couldn't see if it was even a girl or boy." Bella answered a few more questions before following Severus to his chambers. He refused to let her out of his sight. Draco followed of course. He wasn't letting Bella out of his sight either.

What both professor and her brother found distrubing was how her attacker had let her go. Obviously this person was after Bella for a reason then. But what could that reason be?

------------------

Tom Riddle had a new game plan set in place. He wanted Bella Malfoy on his side. He'd use Ginny Weasley until he'd taken the last drop of her life then he'd use Bella. True she was a Half-Blood but then again so was he and Severus Snape was one as well. Tom also wanted to see this Harry Potter both girls had spoken of. To think he'd brought down the most powerful Dark Lord since Grindelwald...

But he'd focus on that boy at another time. Right now he wondered more about Bella Malfoy. There was something there, that even while facing an enemy, had made her eyes shine with strength. He could use that.

Smirking he returned to his planning and left Ginny Weasley's body for the time being.

----------------

Ever since the second near-attack Bella found herself constantly followed by one of her friends and Draco himself. They weren't taking any chances. Ron, Harry and Hermione had been scared spitless at the thought that Bella had nearly gotten hurt again. They were all so shaken that Bella got plenty of lectures about being reckless, not listening and doing what she was told from now on. Her Mama had sent her a letter too along with Narcissa in which they stated that if Bella couldn't keep herself out of harm's way she'd just have to finish her school year at the manor. This had annoyed Bella extremely.

She'd been holed up in the manor for most of her life. She had felt so free to be able to live in the castle when she began her studies. She was not going to go back to being the mysterious Malfoy child who was always locked away in her stone tower.

Just thinking about going back to being behind warded gates and being watched by the various enchanted things Narcissa and Mireya had cooked up together to track her when she was on her own, caused a scowl to briefly possess her lips. She hated being locked away. It was one of the worst feelings in the world.

"Bell!" Blinking Bella came out of her thoughts. Harry was staring at her with a worried look, his green eyes shimmering with his hidden thoughts. "You okay? You just spaced off..." Bella nodded, then shook her head, perching on a windowsill in the moonlit corridor.

"I just don't want to get stuck behind the gates again." Bella told him, knowing she could be honest with him just like she could be honest with Draco. "I was lonely...whenever Draco would go somewhere and leave me. Mama works nearly all week so she'd be gone. And Tia Cissa has her own meetings and things to organize. Severus would be busy teaching most the year. So sometimes it was just me in that big old manor." Bella sighed. "I don't know why Draco was allowed outside the gates more than me. I don't remember ever having asked. The point is he was and I would sometimes sit outside on my swing, worrying that no one would ever come back..."

Harry stared at Bella with surprised eyes. He had just assumed that Bella's childhood had been easy. She was caring and happy most of the time, so he just figured she'd gotten more love and happiness as a younger child. Now though he was starting to see that he'd been wrong. Sure, her childhood was loads happier than his but she'd also had her share of sadness.

"I know. It's silly really." Bella said when the silence had stretched on too long for her liking. She shifted and let her hair hide her blushing face from those prying green eyes. "I shouldn't be complaining. When they did come back, I was always cuddled and spoiled to make up for it." Bella finally managed to look up and found Harry frowning.

"I don't think you're silly or complaining." Harry said, reaching over to put his hand on her head. Bella stared at him then broke into a smile. "I just think you don't like being alone."

Bella shook her head then, sighing softly. "No I don't. I never have. Mama and Tia Cissa joke about how I never let Draco out of my sight when we were little. I had to be able to see him or else I'd start bawling my eyes out." Bella's face was tender now. "You know Draco's the one who would cuddle and spoil me the most? I know, you'd think it'd be my mama but no. It was Draco." Bella looked up into Harry's eyes. "Draco's such a good big brother. He's always trying to take care of me. I'm afraid to say that those days in the forest must have made him more of a grown-up than he ever deserved to be."

"I can imagine." Harry said. Bella gave him an openly skeptical look but Harry just smirked. "I can. If I had a little sister like you then I'd do everything and anything I needed to do to keep you safe." Bella stared at Harry, her eyes mercury. Harry stared right back, not even blinking under that direct gaze. Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Bella couldn't help but hug him.

"And that's why Harry's my best friend." Bella murmured. Harry was surprised yet again.

"I thought Hermione was your best friend?"

"Hermione's my best _girl_ friend. Harry's my best _boy_ friend." Bella clarified. Harry grinned then at the very Slytherin tone Bella had used and flicked her on the head making her giggle.

"Forgive me my slow brain." He muttered, pulling her off the windowsill. It was time to take her back to the Slytherin common room.

"You're forgiven for having a slow brain."

"Oi! That wasn't very nice Bell."

"I'm a Slytherin for a reason Harry."

"Pft, your blood's more scarlet than emerald."

"And yours is more yellow than scarlet."

"Hey!"

The two children laughed as they continued down the stairs, unaware of a pair of brown eyes watching them from behind a tapestry.

-----------------------

The weeks passed again in a lazy sort of fashion. Things had been quiet. No near-attacks, no Petrifying, no strange hissing. It was quite quiet. Too quiet. Which made Draco Malfoy uneasy. And something that made Draco uneasy was bound to be really bad news for everyone else.

It was April now, Easter to be exact, and Draco was busy researching. Not anything homework related though. No, this was much more personal.

He was sitting at a table with a large amount of books on Wizarding genealogies. Something had been troubling him ever since Bella's first attack. At the time he'd thought it was merely the fact that someone would be cruel enough to harm his sweet little sister. However, this sudden silence and the fact that it only came about _after_ Bella met her attacker, made one thing glaringly clear to Draco. This need to purge the school of Mudbloods had escalated. The attacker had a new goal. One that involved Bella in some way. Draco was sure of it.

He was so sure that he had even talked to Harry about it. During a study session the day before. While Hermione and Bella tried to walk Ron through the day's Transfiguration notes, Draco had tossed Harry a note. They'd passed it back and forth under the table. Even Harry agreed that it was weird, not hearing the voice or not having any new attacks since Bella's incident.

"You know there's something big happening if I'm trusting Potter of all people." Draco murmured aloud to himself, thinking of how he'd entrusted Bella's care to Potter all day. The boy had offered to distract Bella by taking her to his Quidditch practice. Draco paused a moment to marvel at the fact that Bella could be distracted from impending doom by a chance to participate in a Quidditch practice.

Shaking his head he went back to his work. He was looking up their father's bloodline. Normally Draco would have scoffed and assured himself and anyone listening that his father's bloodline was only good because of its antiquity. Today though, it was proving to be rather informative. Indeed Draco had discovered things he'd never thought he'd be proud of within his father's line. He should have known better though. One worthless Knut does not compare to a pile of Galleons after all. He'd have to remember that.

What Draco was finding interesting about his father's bloodline was that as of the 1600's, Bella was only the seventh female Malfoy born into the bloodline. He found that odd because family lines as old as his own, such as the Blacks and the Prewetts and yes even the Weasleys and the Potters, had had more female descendents than the Malfoys in the same amount of time.

To add to this rather odd bit of family history, all the Malfoy genealogies stated that each of the female Malfoys after 1643 were exceptionally gifted in one area of another, and that two of them had gone missing under suspicious circumstances.

"Draco?" Draco jumped and looked up from his notes to stare into the black eyes of his godfather.

"Severus." Draco said with a relieved breath. Severus took up one of the papers and stared at it hard before turning to the blonde boy with an arched brow. Draco stared back steadily. "I'm researching. Something doesn't sit well with me at all. Bella's been attacked twice already and now everything is silent. I don't like it. So I decided to see if our father's family history could be enlightening, considering Mireya's a Muggleborn and Mother's Black ancestors gave me nothing of interest." Severus set the parchment down only to pick up one of the open books. Draco waited for his surrogate father to say something.

"What exactly are you looking for then?" Severus asked. Draco sighed, rubbing his finger on his temples and taking a break from the constant reading.

"Anything." Draco murmured. He pulled out the pocket watch his little sister had given him. Opening it the soft tinkling melody filled the empty space and relaxed him. The melody was slightly melancholy but it always reminded him of Bella.

"I doubt you'll find the answer here." Severus said after a few seconds of silence. Draco scowled.

"I doubt it too but I need to do _something_." Draco replied, standing up and gathering up his papers. Potter's Quidditch practice would be ending any minute now and it wouldn't do for Bella to find him in the library "pulling a Hermione" as she called it. Draco frowned then, he really was pulling a Granger. Ugh.

"Perhaps you're just reading too much into it?" Severus asked and chuckled when he recieved a scathing look. "No of course not. I have raised you to always question such coincidences." Draco nodded, beaming at the man before daring to give him a hug in public. Severus preferred his private moments to be private but he made an allowance this once. "Make sure Bella does not wander alone at night anymore." He commanded before the blonde went on his way.

Later that evening he was sitting on a couch with Blaise, watching as Bella and Crabbe played chess while Goyle watched. Both Crabbe and Goyle were mediocre at best. Blaise and Draco claimed them lost causes but Bella was persistent that if taught with enough patience the boys would be able to come up with more interesting game plans. It seemed so far that her Gryffindorish persistence was paying off. Crabbe actually seemed to have put Bella in a corner. Of course, she managed to out manuever Crabbe after a minute of thought.

_If only life were like a chess game_, Draco thought watching the rather spectacular way Bella destroyed Crabbe five minutes later. _Then I could see what our opponent was plotting instead of being blind. _

"Are you all right Draco?" Bella asked and Draco blinked out of his thoughts.

"Mmhm." He replied. Of course that never convinced Bella. She left the chess game, letting Goyle take her place, and came to sit in the corner of the couch, her silvery gaze on Draco's face. Blaise smiled a little at the depth of their sibling connection. He didn't envy Draco though, he wasn't sure he'd like having one person who knew him so deeply well. It was a rather scary thought but the Malfoys seemed perfectly content with it.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked quietly, her chin in her hands. Draco stared at her then smiled.

"I'm worried." He said to her finally, softly so that only she heard. "It's quiet. I don't like it. It can't just get this quiet after your incident and not be coincidence."

Bella sat thoughtfully for a few seconds then smiled wryly. "Of course not. That's not exactly my luck hmm?"

"No it's not." Draco agreed ruefully. "You attract worse trouble than Potter and that's saying something."

Bella giggled before sobering up. "Maybe I'm a trouble magnet?"

"I wouldn't be surprised..."

The siblings sat quietly for a while longer before Bella brought her head to rest on his shoulder.

"Have you ever noticed how I'm the one getting stuck with all the gloom and doom?" Bella asked her brother, arching an eyebrow when he snickered.

"Yes I have. I always thought you hadn't though." Draco admitted making Bella bop him playfully. They grinned together for a moment before sighing in unison.

"I have." Bella assured him. "I just...always attributed it to something else I suppose. But now...I'm starting to wonder... Is it really me or something about me?"

Draco had been thinking this too, which was why he doubted that he'd find the answer in library books.

"Draco...you don't think I'm cursed do you?" Bella asked half jokingly. Draco was about to laugh when something flashed in his mind and he jumped up from the couch, hurrying to his dormitory and digging into the pile of notes he'd taken.

Staring down at the parchment, the blonde felt thunderstruck as he heard Bella come in. "Draco? What is it?"

"I think...in a way you are cursed Bella." Draco finally said. "Look here." He said handing Bella the parchment. Bella took it and saw the neat delicate scrawl of her brother all over the page. "Read the passage in green." Draco directed, going over to his bed and falling upon it. Bella sat on the edge of the bed and read aloud the passage in green.

"Born under a rare red moon, Etana Malfoy was said to possess a "power of purpose" which enabled her to focus her power in various ways. From defending Malfoy Manor during a raid by four other rival families in 1623, to surviving a quick-acting poison without aid of any potion or bezoar in 1638. None could ever account for why she was able to overcome these normally insurmountable obstacles, except Etana herself." Bella took a pause to stare at Draco who motioned for her to continue reading. "Still more fascinating is the claims that since Etana Malfoy, every female Malfoy descendent has inherited this "power of purpose" and used it mainly to protect the Malfoy lineage." Bella let the parchment fall onto the bed.

Silence was thick around them for long moments, then Draco and Bella turned to meet eyes. Silver sparkled into silver and the siblings basked for a moment in this newfound knowledge. But then the glimmer died down in Bella's eyes.

"You think this is somehow connected to my attacks." Bella stated and Draco nodded. His glittering eyes changed from silver to cold steel as he got up from the bed to begin pacing, something he rarely indulged in.

"Yes and no. Yes because surely your attacker was powerful enough to sense this 'power of purpose' in you. No because he probably has no clue what the power in you is capable of." Draco's eyes met hers then. "Etana Malfoy survived poison and a quadruple attack from other pureblood families Bella! She probably did loads more other things with this power. No wonder two of the other females vanished mysteriously. They were probably stupid enough to tell someone about it and got themselves either imprisoned or killed." Draco snorted, shooting Bella a prideful look. She wouldn't go blabbering about this power.

Bella sat there for a few minutes in her contemplative pose: head bowed, hair shielding her face, hands folded in her lap, legs tucked under her. Draco smiled warmly at his little sister. She had a strength now, something that didn't rely on secret charms or Dark magic. It was her power, to do with what she wished.

Meanwhile the younger Malfoy was having her thoughts racing in her demurely bowed head. Flickering from awe to fear to general curiosity to learn more. Finally she lifted her eyes to meet Draco, a grin on her lips.

"Power of purpose...I wonder what that really means?"

Draco grinned as well. "Well considering what we've learned, it think it's about time we begin researching our Malfoy heritage Bella."

She nodded then laid down on her brother's bed. "Where should we start though?" Draco walked over and plopped down beside her, his head resting next to hers.

"The Malfoy vaults." He finally said, grinning at his own genius. "I'll write to Gringotts and see if they can send me copies of all important documents concerning the Malfoys. Surely our ancestors left some explanation for us future generations." Bella nodded. That sounded like a completely excellent plan.

"See that's one of the reasons I'm always grateful you're my brother." Bella praised him, making Draco puff up with it. She laughed at his expression then squealed when he hit her with a pillow. She of course retaliated and the resulting pillow fight--joined in by Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle a few seconds later--made them forget about anything dark for at least one hour.

----------------------------

Bella was concentrating in Charms class. Not on the actual lesson itself. It was a theory lesson today, since the charm they'd be using was a little more complex than usual. It was acutally a third year charm or something, Bella had tuned it out after that.

No what she was concentrating on was the little potted plant on the windowsill next to her seat. In a few more weeks it would be a cheerful daffodil. But for now it was just a little seedling. Bella however had decided to test out this newfound 'power of purpose'. Although the copies Draco had requested the day before hadn't arrived, Bella had felt she had gotten a general idea of how it worked. She imagined it was exactly how the Scepter Charm had worked. She just needed to focus her magic on what she wanted to do.

So there she sat, staring at the budding daffodil plant with her wand pointed at it. In her mind she had only one thought. _Grow. _

The plant quivered then, and the pot clattered gently on the windowsill. Bella ignored this though, continuing to repeat her one thought. _Grow. _

The pot quivered more insistently now, breaking into Flitwick's lecture. All heads began to turn to the plant which had Bella's full attention. _Grow already!_

With a slight whoose of air, the plant burst into life, growing to full size and sprouting five perfectly formed, radiant yellow flowers.

"Bella..." Draco gasped as he placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him, panting softly.

"I made it grow." Bella assured him, beaming when Flitwick exclaimed at the cheerful flowers and came over to investigate it. After a minute he turned to Bella with a grin.

"What spell did you use Miss Malfoy? I can't seem to recognize it at the moment."

"I...didn't use a spell." Bella admitted, bowing her head with a smile on her face. "I just kept thinking, how nice it would be if it would blossom." Flitwick did a little double take then beamed and pat her arm before heading back to his platform of books and continuing on with his lessons. Draco grinned like a sappy Gryffindor for the rest of the day, just thinking of how Bella had made that happen. Bella too walked around with a bounce in her step.

----

"Just like that? Without any spell?" Hermione asked at dinner that night. Bella nodded, wriggling with pleasure in her seat as Harry and Ron both stared at her with dropped jaws.

"Yeah. It's a Malfoy thing--literally. All my female ancestors could do stuff like that."

"So it's sort of like controlled accidental magic?" Hermione reasoned and Bella thought about it.

"Yes! Exactly like that." Bella wriggled some more. "The book passage said it was a 'power of purpose'. I'm not completely sure what that means but I'm beginning to form my hypothesis." Hermione looked intrigued and offered to start researching. Bella beamed at her, glad for her support.

"I think I have a way to go before I can do more than make daffodils grow though." Bella told them, beaming at the boys now as well. "But like they say, all things in due time."

Her friends agreed and began plotting out all the little things Bella could try doing. Bella smiled more warmly, her feelings shining in her mercury gaze. Harry found himself catching and holding her gaze. She cocked an eyebrow and her merely shook his head with a grin. He was just glad something good had happened to Bella. He had a bad feeling that things were about to get much darker though. He shoved that thought aside though. He didn't need to fall into depression just yet.

* * *

**_And that my friends is end of chappy 11! I would have had it uploaded yesterday but i hit a snag towards the end while trying to explain the spiffiness of the Malfoy ladies. I hope you enjoyed it and I'll try to be more speedy with the next update. Arigato and Oyasumi nasai!_**


	12. Revelations

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) _**

**_You know if I owned HP I wouldn't be bothering with college. But alas HP belongs to J.K. Rowling so off to school I go. (weeps)_**

**_--------------_**

**_Part Two_**

**_--------------_**

**_Chapter Twelve: Revelations_**

**_-------------_**

Harry looked up at the by now familiar click. Looking up he smiled as Bella lowered the camera from her face. Bella had told him--only him--about her missing memories. He'd had to coax it out of her but she'd finally given in and told him, making him promise not to tell anyone. He'd promised and was even more tolerant now of having his picture taken by his Slytherin friend. After all, she was just making memories for herself. Keeping her days in order. And more importantly, he trusted her to not share them with anyone like Colin might have.

"What's that one for?" He asked as he led her into the castle again. The weather was getting better, helping lift the mood. Bella had been begging Draco to take her outside but the boy had been refusing so Bella had turned to Harry. Harry had taken her to the pitch so that she could enjoy the sunshine while he practiced with the team. She had taken a few pictures during his practice which she promised to give to him for his own album that Hagrid had given him.

Speaking of the album... Bella suddenly picked up Harry's hand, smiling when she saw James Potter's ring on his hand. "You looked happy." Bella murmured in answer to his first question. "How often do you wear this?" She asked. Harry blushed a little but grinned.

"Nearly all the time. Especially during games." Harry said and grinned more. "I like thinking that Dad's talent rubs off on me when I wear it."

Bella rolled her eyes and bopped him playfully on the shoulder. "His good luck maybe, but that talent is all your own Harry."

Harry blushed again. He was pleased though. Bella said it was his talent. And he knew it was. He just liked hearing someone else say it.

"Well come on. I have a mountian of homework and Hermione's been nagging me enough. Malfoy's probably had an aneurysm by now."

Bella laughed and followed her friend into the castle. It felt good to make memories like this.

-------------

Draco looked over Bella's shoulder as she lay on the floor by his bed. She was putting pictures into the new album Narcissa had sent her. Draco saw pictures of him, of the Gryffindors, of their mothers, of Severus. There were random people too, like Hagrid and McGonagall and Flitwick. There were pictures of the castle, of the grounds, of Hagrid's garden patch. Of their home, of Diagon Alley.

"You look happy Bella." Draco said as he slipped off his bed and started looking through the pictures.

"I am happy. Look at all the happy times we've managed to have. Even with all the bad stuff going on." Bella sighed then. "I don't want Hogwarts to close Draco. I like living here, with you and all my friends. I like watching the Quidditch games and I like studying with Hermione. I can't go back to being shut up in the manor Draco. I just can't." Bella whispered. Draco reached up to ruffle her hair.

"I know Bella. I know. Don't worry sis." Draco promised softly. "No matter what I promise never to let Mother or Tia Reya keep you locked up again." He pet her hair with a sad grin. "I never realized how much you really hated it."

"I tried to hide it." Bella admitted. "So _Mama no se sienta mal_. So she wouldn't feel bad." Bella never liked making her mother feel bad.

"Well you're bound to make her feel bad once or twice Bella." Draco reasoned and Bella sighed, nodding. He pet her head again, picking up a picture of the two of them sitting side by side on a bench. It had been taken during the summer by Severus. They were dressed in matching colors, arms around each other. Draco was grinning and Bella was positively laughing. Even though they had different colored hair and slightly different facial features, there was no denying they were siblings. Draco choose a page in Bella's album and stuck the picture right in the middle. He tapped the page and words in silver sprang up on the black paper. Bella giggled.

"I promise. No matter what happens to the school, I won't let our mothers keep you locked up. We'll go to Durmstrang or Beauxbatons. We could even go to Spain and learn there. I bet Mireya's _directora_ would get us into a prestigious school there." Bella was smiling brightly now which was what Draco wanted.

"I'm glad my brother has such good ideas." Bella said, hugging Draco tightly before going back to working on her album. Draco watched her, his mind brewing silently. He knew Hogwarts was on thin ice. But he'd be damned if he let his little sister get stuck behind the hated manor gates. After all...Bella was the most important person to him.

--------------

"Hermione!" Bella gasped as she stared down at her best friend. Her true first friend. The bushy-haired girl was frozen, her eyes glassy, her hand out at an odd angle.

"Granger..." Draco couldn't help but gape as well. Granger was Granger! She wasn't supposed to get caught up in this mess! She was called the smartest witch in their year for a reason!

Bella couldn't tear her eyes away. It was a hundred times worse than seeing little Colin Creevey lying there, motionless. This was Hermione, kind and wonderful Hermione who'd become her first real friend. She wasn't supposed to be lying here. Like a statue.

"Mr. Malfoy, I suggest you take your sister back to your common room. Severus will want to have a word with you." McGonagall said. Draco nodded, taking Bella by the arm and pulling her away from the awful sight.

She couldn't get rid of the pictures in her head. Hermione's frozen face, little Colin's, Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, that Ravenclaw girl. Hermione's was just the worst one. Bella didn't like it at all. Things had gotten worse. And she couldn't do anything to help!

As soon as she was set down on a couch Bella gave a deep, shaky sigh then leaned over and shut her eyes. "Why Hermione?" Bella demanded softly as Severus began addressing their housemates.

-------------

The class just stared. It was hard not to. Draco was looking at Bella with a grin spreading on his face. The rest of the Slytherins and the Gryffindors all just gaped at her.

Lockhart had come into the room, practically bouncing with joy. That had bothered Bella enough as it were. How could Lockhart be so damn cheerful when upstairs in the infirmary Hermione lay Petrified? Everyone else was grim and shocked. Hagrid's arrest had also zapped a lot of her optimisim. Stupid Ministry, attacking the innocent simply to look good. It bothered Bella to absolutely no end.

Of course Lockhart didn't give a damn. He went on about how the whole thing was over, that with Hagrid gone the attacks would stop. He let little hints of how he'd always known Hagrid were bad slip. It had been too much in too short a time for Bella to react like everyone else and calmly ignore the prat.

She'd seen Harry's hand twitch towards his school books, as if he would throw one at Lockhart if he could. Bella had snapped when he'd said something about Hagrid again and flicked her wand under the table, sending her textbook flying at Lockhart. It had hit him in the jaw and startled him so much that he'd fallen on his arse.

"Shut up about Hagrid." Bella spoke in a quiet, deadly sort of tone. Almost a hiss. "You don't know him like we know him. You don't have anymore proof of his guilt than we do. You know as well as I do that the Ministry will do anything to look good in the face of such a crisis." Bella clenched her hands into fists. "How can you be so happy when our friends are in the hospital still frozen like stone!?" Bella sniffled and a tear slipped out. She hastily wiped it away. "How dare you be so happy! I don't know about the rest of you but I'm done listening to this jerk!" With that Bella grabbed her bookbag and slung it over her shoulder, leaving her Lockhart books behind. Draco followed Bella closely out the door.

The silence was priceless really. Harry and Ron savored it for a moment then hurried after their friend. One by one the Slytherins then most of the Gryffindors followed Bella's dramatic exit, until Lockhart was left standing there, rubbing at his sore jaw and staring at the door in stunned surprise.

"Bell!" Harry called and Bella paused long enough for them to catch up. Then she turned and hurried down the hall and some stairs to the lower floor. "That was bloody brilliant but you could get into serious trouble!" Harry said watching Bella lean against a window and take deep breaths.

"I know. But I'm not sorry. And I'm sure the teachers aren't going to mind too much that I did something we've all been wanting to do." Bella grinned darkly then, looking every bit the Slytherin. "He deserved it. We're all scared out of our minds and he's insulting Hagrid! Ugh! Pompous half-blood bastard." Bella spit venomously before sagging once more against the window. Seeing Harry's startled face she reached out to grasp his sleeve. "Sorry, I'm used to lashing out like that when I get really angry. Poor Severus, he's gotten more than his fair share of a book to the face. Especially when I was younger." Bella shook her head. "You know I don't care about blood, right?"

"Right. I know you're just angry Bell." Harry said, patting her hand that was still tightly grasping his sleeve. Bella gave a fleeting smile then let her hand drop to the side. She stared at the windowsill unseeingly for a moment then jumped back and frowned.

"Look...the spiders..." Bella noted and the three boys looked to see the spiders were all moving in a single line to the window, looking in a great hurry to be getting out. "That's not normal is it?"

"No it's not...'' Draco replied.

Harry suddenly gasped and turned to Ron. "Remember what Hagrid said Ron? He said to follow the spiders if we wanted answers!"

Ron looked green while Bella and Draco looked puzzled. Harry quietly and quickly explained how they'd gone to Hagrid when a stranger had left them a note, telling them that Hagrid knew something about the Chamber of Secrets. With Hermione's attack, they'd gotten desperate and hurried to ask him about it. But then Fudge had shown up and told Dumbledore he was suspended and taken Hagrid to Azkaban.

"Let's go take a look." Draco suggested suddenly. They took a moment then nodded. The four children made their way down the silent corridors, hurrying to get outside.

Once out there they tried to locate the window they'd been standing near. They didn't need to though, seeing as they spotted a line of spiders near the greenhouses. Following the line they reached Hagrid's sad and lonely hut. Draco grasped Bella's arm before she continued further.

"They're headed into the forest." Harry spoke up.

A soft groan drew their attention to Ron who was looking at anywhere other than the little buggers. "Leave it to Hagrid to give us advice like Follow the spiders!" Ron spit out, his face distinctly green. Draco snickered but hushed with a look from Bella. Harry watched them for a few seconds then went into the hut to collect Fang.

"Come on then." Harry said and the three other children hurried after him. The sun was beginning to set and there was an eerie sort of hush in the woods. By the light of the dying sun they followed the spiders, which were leading them deeper and deeper into the forest. Draco kept Bella close, refusing to let her go ahead. He had a good reason for hating this forest. Considering it nearly got his little sister killed last time...

Deeper and darker the way became, until finally they all had to light their wands--except Ron--to follow the trail.

A rustling forced them to stop and lower their wands. Branches snapped and Fang whined as he cowered behind Ron. Suddenly a rather loud crack was heard and Fang let out a booming bark.

"Shut up mutt!" Draco hissed.

"Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh--"

"Shut up Ron!" Harry demanded. "It'll hear you."

"It's already heard Fang!" Bella reasoned, hoping it would't be anything like what she'd seen on her last visit.

"The darknesswas pierced by blinding light then and they all flung up their arms, shielding their eyes from the light.

"Harry!" Ron called after a few moments. "It's our car!"

The children turned and saw it was indeed the Flying Ford Anglia. They stumbled over towards it and the car came to greet Ron who patted it's hood.

"Looks like the forest got to it." Bella giggled. "It's a bit wild no?"

"Well now that that's over," Draco grumbled, "weren't we supposed to follow the damned spiders?"

The nodded and got back on track, looking for another trail. They found one and followed it. Ron turned green again when they entered a clearing that had thousands of spiders all around, crawling and shifting. Bella shuddered, pressing close to her brother who had a disgusted sneer on his face.

"Well we've found where they're all headed." Draco commented, kicking a few off his shoes. "But why here?"

"Ha-Ha-Harry!" Ron squeaked out suddenly. He pointed over Harry's shoulder. Turning the children found themselves staring at the largest pile of cobwebs ever. And the webs were moving.

From the ground emerged the largest, most creepy and gross spider Bella had ever laid eyes on. "It's...it's an acromantula!" Bella gasped, remembering the picture of one from a book she'd read once. Draco's mouth fell open as they all took a step back.

"Who is there?" The acromantula asked. That's when they all saw that its eight eyes were milky white. It was a blind giant spider...

"Uh...we're friends of Hagrid." Harry said. "Who're you?"

"I am Aragog." The spider replied. "Hagrid has never sent strangers into our hollow before." The giant spider said.

"Hagrid's in trouble." Harry replied. "That's why we've come."

"In trouble?"

"Yes." Bella piped up then. "At the school, people have been getting attacked and they think Hagrid had something to do with it." Bella scowled. "Which is bloody stupid..."

"But that was years ago!" Aragog fumed. "Years and years ago. I remember it well. That's why they made him leave the school. They believed that I was the monster that dwells in what they call the Chamber of secrets. They thought Hagrid had set me free."

"Didn't you come from the Chamber then?" Draco asked, frowning deeply.

"I!?" Aragog sounded angrier. "I was not born in the castle. I came from a distant land. A traveler gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg. Hagrid was only a boy but he cared for me, kept me hidden, fed me scraps from the table." Draco and Bella shared a bemused look. Trust Hagrid to keep this giant monstrosity as a pet! "Hagird is my good friend and a good man. When I was discovered and blamed for the girl's death, he protected me. I have lived in the forest ever since, where Hagrid still visits me. He even found me a wife and look how our family has grown. All through Hagrid's goodness..." At Aragog words the apparent offspring of the giant creature descended down from thick webs all around then.

It had to count for something though, that this mutant maneater could see Hagrid's goodness as well. Bella sighed, feeling horrible for poor Hagrid. If he was stuck in Azkaban...like her father... Severus had said it was a horrid place, filled with Dementors who sucked all the happiness from a person until they were left a cracked, empty shell of insanity. Bella shook her head. No! That couldn't happen to poor dear Hagrid! It was disgusting to think such a good person had to suffer.

"So...you never attacled anyone?" Harry asked in a courageous tone.

"Never. It would have been my instinct but out of respect for Hagrid I never harmed a human. The girl who was killed was discovered in a bathroom. I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard where I grew up. our kind like the dark and quiet..."

"Then...Would you know what did kill that girl?" Draco questioned the beast. "Because whatever it was is back and--"

The spiders whipped up into a frenzy and clicked their pincers furiously. "That creature in the castle, is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all. Well do I remember how I pleaded with Hagrid to let me go, when I sensed the beast moving about the school."

Bella gulped. If Aragog of all creatures was freaked out by the monster of Slytherin...

"What is it?" Harry pressed and the angry clicking noise whirled around them once more.

"We do not speak of it! We do not name it! I never even told Hagrid the name of the dread creature, though he aske me many times." Aragog sounded freaked out now.

"Harry." Ron whispered and pointed out the fact that had escaped the other three until then: they were being surrounded by Aragog's children.

"We'll just be going then." Harry said as calmly as possible.

"Go? I think not..." Aragog replied softly, almost laughingly. Bella shuddered.

"But---but---"

"My children do not harm Hagrid on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Goodbye, friends of Hagrid..."

"Potter! What do you suggest we do no!?" Draco spit out, drawing his wand and keeping Bella at his side. Bella shook a little but pulled her wand out as well.

"What're you asking me for!" Harry demanded, throughly peeved.

"Boys, shut it!" Bella demanded and racked her mind for a spell that could help. Anything, anything at all! Why couldn't she rememer anything!?

_Something! Anything! We need help! _Bella thought. A shiver ran up her back then, causing her to tense. She threw her eyes open wide. "Oh!"

Light flooded the hollow then, scattering the spiders for a few moments. To their utter shock the Ford Anglia screeched into the hollow, stopping and throwing its doors open. The terrified children needed no further prompting. As one they sprang into the car. The doors slammed shut and the car turned. The spiders lurched forward, getting over their momentary fear of the car. It peeled out and drove away, with the acromantula offspring following right behind.

The car drove them through the woods, with them having to blast the spiders off every so often with the Stupefy spell that Bella had finally remembered.

Finally though the trees thinned and it got too bright for the horrid things. The Anglia took them all the way to the edge of the woods were it flung its doors open and let them disembark. Harry patted it gratefully before the car trundled back into the woods.

"Follow the spiders! Follow the spiders!" Ron spit out after having heaved up his lunch into the pumpkin patch. "If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill him!"

"For once we agree Weasley." Draco gasped out, looking disheveled and shaken. Bella was sitting on the ground staring straight ahead.

"I never want to see anything that big again." She muttered, getting onto shaky legs. "Never."

"And what exactly did we gain from that!?" Ron continued on. "What was the purpose for sending us in there!"

"We learned Hagrid never opened the Chamber for starters." Harry replied. "He's innocent."

"That's all well and good." Draco huffed. "But anything else? Anything useful that might actually help?"

They were all silent for a few minutes. "We should stay in Hagrid's hut tonight." Bella motioned towards the dark castle and the position of the moon. "It's certainly hours past curfew and the teachers will be crawling all over the halls. We'd never make it back unseen."

"Won't they notice though when we sneak in, in the morning?" Harry asked as they entered Hagrid's hut.

"You just leave that to me." Bella said with a wink. She had a fire going soon enough and they all settled into spots for the night. Bella and Draco took the bed, Ron took a pile of cushions and Harry settled into Hagrid's armchair. They were all silent for a long long time.

It was as they were finally dozing off that Harry had a sudden epiphany. He sat bolt upright in his chair, the quilt he'd pulled over him falling to the floor.

"Bell!" Harry cried and she sat up from the bed, blinking at him sleepily. "Bell!"

"Hmm?" She asked rubbing her eye.

"That girl who died. Aragog said she'd been found in a bathroom." Harry said and Bella nodded.

"What if she never left the bathroom?" Harry asked his eyes shining in the faint light of the fire. Bella pondered then her own silver eyes brightened.

"Oh..."

"What're you going on about Potter?" Draco griped.

"What if the girl never left the bathroom!" Harry repeated nearly bouncing now. Ron gasped then and he said in an awed tone.

"You don't think--not Moaning Myrtle!"

------------

Thanks to the tightened security measures, sneaking away during the day to sneak into Myrtle's bathroom would be hard enough. Though Bella could probably get away with being there both Harry and Draco agreed that would be tantamount to getting Bella blown into pieces. Though Bella felt they were being a tad dramatic, she had no desire to enter that bathroom on her own. Two attacks was two too many.

Luckily, in this case at least, they could always count on an incompetent blonde flop to give them a golden opportunity to escape.

"Mark my words the first words out of those poor Petrified people's mouths will be, "It was Hagrid." Frankly I don't see why Professor McGonagall thinks all the extra security measures are necessary."

Bella had to be held back by Ron and Draco when Lockhart spoke. You'd think the idiot would learn not to insult her friends.

"I agree sir." Harry said suddenly and Lockhart sent him a beaming look.

"Thank you Harry."

"Why don't you just leave us here sir?" Ron asked, catching on. "We've only got one more corridor to go."

"You know Weasley I think I will. I really should go to prepare for my next class." And with that Lockhart hurried to his classroom.

Draco snorted violently as they hurried away. "Gone to curl his hair more like." Draco spat out as they hurried off down the corridor towards Myrtle's bathroom.

They were stopped suddenly however.

"Potter! Malfoy! Weasley!" McGonagall had caught them. "What are you doing!?"

Before anyone could react Bella blurted out, "We were going to see Hermione!"

"Right." Draco lied smoothly. "Forgive us professor but Bella hasn't been allowed to see Granger for ages. She's worried about her. And well now that we know the Mandrakes are ready Bella and Potter and Weasley wanted to give her some good news..."

Ron and Harry mentally praised Draco for his skillful lying. That was ruddy brilliant of him. McGonagall looked suspiciously for a moment before she gave them her permission.

"Thanks Malfoy." Harry said as they trudged to the hospital wing.

"I remind you both that the only reason I saved your skins was for Bella." Draco replied. Bella grinned for a moment.

"Thanks Draco." Bella muttered as they reached the infirmary.

Pomfrey gave an exasperated sigh but let them in. Once she was gone Bella sat down on the edge of Hermione's bed and dropped her head on the girl's shoulder. "Ah Hermione..._no sabemos que hacer. _We're utterly lost without you." She looked at the mirror on the bedside cabinet and sighed. "She must have seen it. Whatever or whoever Petrified them. She must have."

The boys nodded and Draco made Bella sit up. Harry looked down at Hermione and saw the hand that lay on the bed clenched. Upon closer inspection Harry realized there was a ball of paper in her fist.

"Oi, take a look at this." Harry said and they all peeked to see the paper.

"Try and get it out." Ron said. The other three shielded him from Pomfrey's gaze while Harry did his best to get the thing out. After a few minutes he managed it and stuffed it into his robes just as Pomfrey turned around again. They left the hospital wing then, promising to get straight to class.

Once safely hidden from immediate sight Harry took it out and smoothed it open. They all leaned in close to read.

"It all fits." Bella said as she reached the end. "It all makes sense now..."

"Yeah it does." Harry said feeling the shiver of revelation crawl up his spine. "That's why I've been hearing that voice and no one else has. It's a giant snake and I'm a Parselmouth..."

"But this says it kills by looking at how. So how come no one's died?" Ron asked.

"Because no one looked right at it." Draco said in a tone that implied Ron was more of an idiot than previously thought.

"Colin saw it through his camera, Justin...he must have seen it through Nearly Headless Nick! Nick got the full blast...but he can't die again...Hermione and that other girl saw it in their mirrors!"

"I bet Hermione told the first person she could after she figured it out." Bella said and Harry nodded.

Ron was staring with a dropped jaw by now. Draco was nervously running a hand through his hair.

"And Mrs. Norris?" Ron asked.

"The water." Bella replied instantly. "On the floor. From the bathroom. Mrs. Norris must have just seen the reflection in the water..."

Harry pulled the paper to his face once more. "_The crowing of the rooster is fatal to it_. Hagrid's roosters had been killed! The Heir of Slytherin didn't want any near the castle. _Spiders flee before it_. It all fits!" Harry was trembling now with the discovery. They all were.

"I got a question." Draco piped up. "How's a great bloody snake gotten around the school without anyone noticing?"

"Pipes." Bella replied, pointing to Hermione's single word at the bottom of the page.

"It's been using the plumbing. That's why I've been hearing it in the walls!" Harry said. Bella nodded then suddenly tensed.

"Bella what is it?" Draco asked as Bella looked nearly sick. She held a hand to her eyes trying to stop the dizziness. Her thoughts had come too fast now. But she had to tell Harry this.

"I understand Harry. It makes sense. That's why I got attacked when I was in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom."

"Huh?"

"The bathroom Harry, the bathroom!" Bella said bouncing a little. "It's in there! The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets! That's why I got attacked when I went in there! The Heir of Slytherin was afraid I'd found out or seen something no doubt."

"Of course...Myrtle's bathroom..." Harry was stunned now.

"This means Scarface isn't the only Parseltongue then." Draco mused aloud. "There has to be another who can control the basilisk."

"What're we going to do?" Ron asked, his eyes flashing. "Should we go to McGonagall?"

"Better go to the staffroom." Draco said, staring at his pocket watch. "It's nearly break." With a snap the watch was closed and the four stood there for a moment longer before racing towards the staffroom.

But the bell signalling break never came. Instead what they heard was McGonagall voice echoing through the halls. The four children turned to each other, their thoughts the same. _Another attack! _

"Quick you idiots!" Draco hissed as they heard the professors approaching. "In here! Or do you want them to chuck you out!" They all entered the ugly wardrobe and just as Draco shut the door the staffroom door opened. The teachers hurried in. Through the crack in the wardrobe doors they saw the professors settling in.

"It has happened." McGonagall said as she entered the room. "A student has been taken into the Chamber itself."

"How can you be sure?" Severus demanded, feeling a growing dread in his gut.

"The Heir of Slytherin has left another message." McGonagall informed them, looking white as a sheet. "'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.'"

"Who is it?" Severus asked, sounding a bit winded.

"Ginny Weasley."

In the wardrobe Ron fell to the floor and Bella tensed with horror. Ginny! Ginny had gotten taken!

------

"There's no time to waste." Bella said after the teachers had finally gone out of the room.

"What're you talking about?" Draco demanded, grabbing her arm as she headed for the doors.

"We have to go save her of course! We're still the only ones who know what exactly is in that godforsaken Chamber! And even if she bothers me and I'm not exactly her number one favorite person doesn't mean I want her dead you know!"

"It's too dangerous! Especially for you!"

"Dangerous be bloody damned!" Bella spit out. The three boys stared at her, mouths agape. Bella was flushed and trembling. Her eyes darted everywhere and she kept wringing the hem of her robes. "Okay I might have been too hasty with the let's go save her bit but we have to stop wasting time and tell someone. Bloody hell, I can't believe I'm going to say this but...let's go to Lockhart." Ron just gaped more. "Well he's the Defense teacher isn't he!? That means he's got to be good for something other than being a pompous idiot and setting pixies on people!"

"Right, Lockhart. Let's go." Harry agreed. The four hurried down the corridors to the Defense teacher's office where they were surpried to be hearing lots of shuffling and stuff. Bella was impatient and threw open the door.

"Oh you've got to be _kidding_ me!" Bella shouted, startling the blonde wizard. Lockhart's trunks were half full and he had an armful of robes as he looked up at them. "Exactly what the hell are you doing!?" She demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

"Ah, Miss Malfoy--" Lockhart said, gulping visibly. Bella's eyes were chips of iced steel.

"Are you going somewhere?" Harry asked as he looked around and saw the office was nearly empty of all his things.

"Er, well, yes." Lockhart said as he shoved the robes into a trunk followed by a portrait of himself. "Urgent call--unavoidable--got to go--"

"What about my sister?" Ron said his eyes flashing yet again.

"Well, as to that--most unfortunate--"

Draco stepped forward then and Harry actually flinched when he spoke. "Be honest you dirty rotten scoundrel." He hissed and Lockhart flinched as well. "You're a total fraud." Lockhart was gazing at him now as if entranced. "I should have known you couldn't have possibly done everything you said you did. You're not even that powerful." Draco sneered and Lockhart took a step back. "He's running away Weasley. He couldn't give a hippogriff's arse about your sister."

"Of course." Bella said, much softer but still as cool. "Of course. Let me guess, you've been taking credit for other people's accomplishments haven't you?" Lockhart flushed and Bella gave a tinkling laugh. It made both Harry and Ron gulp. It just didn't sound natural coming from a girl like Bella. "Ah, I hit the nail on the head then?"

"Well of course!" Lockhart burst out, angry that two pint-sized kids had found him out. "My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done those things! No one wants to read about an ugly old Armenian warlock even if he did save a village from werewolvs. He was a dreadful sight. And the witch who banished the Brandon Banshee had a harelip! I mean, come on--"

"You're a disgrace to magic you know." Draco shot out, his eyes piercing with their anger.

"What I want to know," Bella said now, perching herself on the desk and staring very harshly at the blonde man, "is how you managed to keep them quiet."

"Ah that." Lockhart had the audacity to smile. "Well after I'd gotten their stories and the exact details from them, I put a Memory Charm on them. If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my Memory Charms." Lockhart finished packing with a smile. "Think that's everything. Yes! One thing left to do." He whirled on Bella and pulled his wand out. "Awfully sorry children but I'll have to put a Memory Charm on you now." Bella tossed her head, standing slowly as Lockhart spoke. "can't have you blabbing my secrets all over the place. Never sell another book if you did--"

"_Expelliarmus_!" Harry shouted and Lockhart was thrown back, his wand falling from his hand. Bella scooped it up and threw it to Draco. Draco grinned like a shark and right in front of Lockhart's eyes he snapped the wand in two.

"Awfully sorry but can't have you trying to hex twelve-year-olds." Draco spat, tossing the pieces out the window.

"What do you want me to do?" Lockhart whined. "I don't even know where the Chamber is! I can't do anything!"

"You're in luck." Harry said forcing Lockhart to his feet. "We know where the entrance to the Chamber is. And what's inside. Let's go."

-----

"As far as secret Slytherin entrances go, this was rather a let down." Draco said as they peered into the newly revealed entrance to the Chamber in Myrtle's bathroom.

"It's not supposed to be dramatic Draco." Bella said, slapping his arm as they stared down. "Though it was dramatic enough for me." Turning to Harry she cocked an eyebrow. Harry nodded once.

"I'm going down there." He said.

"Me too."

Bella shared a look with Draco who sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Bloody Gryffindors and their heroics! Fine I'll go down as well. I'm not leaving Bella in the hands of a scarhead, a weasel and this thing." He motioned to Lockhart.

"You hardly seem to need me--" Lockhart said taking a step back but finding four wands drawn on him instantly.

"You can go first and test it." Ron snarled.

"Children, children, what good will it do?" Lockhart whined.

"Better you than us." Harry replied and with Ron's help, pushed Lockhart over the edge. Ron went next. Harry paused and stared at Bella who was eyeing the dark hole with narrowed eyes. "Bella, you should--"

"If you're going to say I should stay here while the bastard who attacked me is within my reach..." Bella griped. Harry had to grin as Draco said something in spanish and Bella snapped back before throwing her legs over the edge. With a little push of her arms she was on her way as well, Draco and Harry right behind her.

The tunnel was slimey, slippery, and smelled dank. On and on and on and on it went, twisting, turning, plunging down, turning some more. Bella felt a little dizzy by the time it evened out and she shot out into a cavern with a muffled thud. Groaning as she landed on her face she stood up, lighting her wand to look around them.

"Bella, you all right?" Draco asked, immediately fretting over his sister even though he'd split his lip on contact with the ground. Bella nodded, looking around them more. The cavern was littered with little animal skeletons.

"Look over there!" Ron whispered pointing to a great shadowy something in the distance. Inching closer, his eyes narrowed as much as possible, Harry approached the thing, breathing a sigh of relief as he saw it was just a snake skin.

"It's huge." Draco said, his eyes wide as he reached out to touch the shed scales.

A loud thunk had them lookng around only to find Lockhart had fainted.

"Heart of a lion, this one." Ron said scathingly, nudging the man with his toe. Lockhart twitched and sprang up, knocing Ron to his feet as he grabbed the wand from his hand.

"The adventure ends here!" Lockhart cried, gleaming smile slightly crazed. Draco pushed Bella behind him as he and Harry pointed their wands at the man. "I'll tell them all I was too late to save the girl. That you all tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body! Say goodbye...to your memories!" Lockhart turned to Ron. "_Obliviate!_"

The wand let off an explosion like a bomb. Draco was knocked off his feet along with Harry and Bella. The cavern shook and debris fell from the ceiling. Harry tugged Bella out of the way of a large rock coming down. He pushed her against the wall and tried to cover her and himself while the roof caved in.

After a few minutes the dust was settling and the two found themselves staring at a solid rock wall.

"Bloody hell." Harry said. Bella nodded.

"Potter! Where's my sister!" Draco's voice came at them as a small hole was opened in the wall.

"I'm fine Draco." Bella said, smiling briefly at her brother. Draco was cursing Lockhart very fluently in French.

"How are you guys?" Harry asked.

"We're fine." Ron assured him. "Lockhart's not though. Git got blasted with the wand. Can't even remember his own name." They heard a murmur, Draco's harsh whisper then a thunk. "I don't think that was a good idea."

"What did you do Draco?" Bella asked, going to the small hole and trying to see.

"I knocked the git out. He was getting on my nerves." Draco replied simply.

Harry, who'd been deliberating all the while, finally made a decision.

"I'm going on ahead." He said. "Bell, you stay here all right?"

"No." Bella replied getting to her feet. "I'm going with you."

"No you're not!" Harry and Draco said at the same time. "You're going to stay here and help Ron and Malfoy shift the rocks." Harry added sternly. Bella cocked an eyebrow again and crossed her arms.

"Slytherin is my house Harry but not my mentality. I got too much hidden Gryffindor to just stay here knowing you could be in danger."

"Bella!" Draco whined. Bella shook her head.

"You and Ron work on the rocks." Bella said, brushing her bangs from her face. She pulled out a ribbon and tied it up so that it was out of the way.

"Fine." Harry conceded. "If we're not back in an hour..." He paused. Bella shuddered then stood straight once more.

"You'd better come back in one pieces Bella." Draco said sounding worried. Bella smiled.

"Don't worry. I will."

With that the two set off, wandering down the tunnel.

It went on and on, twisting as much as the drain they'd entered from. Finally they reached the end of the line. In front of them stood a solid wall with entwined serpents carved on the wall. Stepping up to it, Harry could pretend they were real as the emeralds of their eyes flickered in Bella's wandlight.

"_Open_." Harry hissed in Parseltongue. The serpents hissed back and the wall cracked open. Taking Bella's hand, the two walked into the chamber beyond.

* * *

**_Annnnnnnnd that's a wrap! Hehehe! Next chappy---the epic fight with Riddle's memory and the great slimy snake of doom! Arigato and see you later! _**


	13. Killer Memory

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) _**

**_Sorry sorry sorry! I've taken so long! Forgiveth me! ^^ But I hope you enjoy this happy conclusion to Part Two! And I can't wait for Part Three! Hehehe I have a lot of ideas for Part Three....mwahahaa! _**

**_Anyways, whatever I didn't make up belongs to Ms. Rowling. I am just a happy fanfic-authoress with a vivid imagination. ^^_**

**_--------------_**

**_Part Two_**

**_--------------_**

**_Chapter Thirteen: Killer Memory_**

**_-------------_**

"I know I'm a Slytherin and all," Bella whispered as they walked down a long gloomy corridor filled with snake statues and pillars of curled snakes and weird green light. "But this is too much even for me." She admitted, shivering when a shadow flickered. All it would take would be one measley glimpse and the blasted basilisk could kill her. She stood closer to Harry, trying to keep as quiet as possible.

They advanced quietly, narrowing their eyes when they thought they saw movement. When they finally reached the end of the passage it opened up into a chamber with a gigantic statue of a wizard.

"Slytherin himself." Bella said softly, staring into the face of her house's founder. "Funny, he doesn't look that bad in portraits. Guess stone wasn't--" And she froze as her eyes caught a flash of red hair.

Harry had seen it too. "Ginny!" The two kids rushed over and knelt by her. Bella checked her pulse and touched her forehead like Mireya had taught her. Her pulse was weak. Her skin was cold.

"Please wake up Ginny. Please." Harry muttered, shaking her. Bella stared down at her, one hand covering her mouth. Ginny just looked so small...so helpless.

"Ginny." Bella called, taking Ginny's hand in her own. "Ginny." She shook her hand, squeezing the fingers, trying to get something out of the white-faced girl.

"She won't wake." The two jumped and spun around to find themselves staring at a tall, black-haird, dark eyed boy. He looked blurred around the edges, like a picture Bella had that had been slightly overexposed. That wasn't what made Bella stare however. What made her gape at the boy was the fact that she knew him.

"Tom...Riddle..?" Bella asked, getting up from the floor.

"Miss Malfoy?" Riddle replied. Harry looked from one to the other, wondering what this was all about.

"Yes, I'm Bella." Bella said softly, turning back to Ginny.

"What d'you mean, she won't wake?" Harry asked. "She's not--she's not--?"

"She's still alive." Riddle assured him. "But only just."

Bella shook her head and knelt back down, pulling out her wand and trying to remember the spells her mother used in her work. She cast a few and gasped as the information was flashed before her eyes. "He's telling the truth Harry..." She whispered, looking up at the handsome young man before them.

"Are you a ghost?" Harry asked.

"A memory." Riddle replied. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years." He pointed to the floor and Bella's eyes widened. That innocent looking black book...she'd thought it was a clever enchantment and nothing more.

"What are you doing here Tom?" Bella asked as Harry lifted Ginny's head. "Why here?"

Riddle stared at Bella, his dark eyes quizzical. "I might ask you the same thing Bella."

"We came for Ginny." Bella said and she turned to look at the white-faced girl.

"Even though you hate her." Riddle asked, grinning when Harry's head whipped up to look at Bella.

Bella though just leveled a glare at the older teen. "I don't hate Ginny. She has given me reason to be wary and annoyed at her, but I don't hate her."

"She thinks otherwise." Riddle told her.

"Then I obviously need to have a talk with her." Bella said simply, turning to Harry who was lifting Ginny off the floor.

"Have you seen my wand Bell?" Harry asked, puffing as he tried to keep hold of Ginny. Bella looked around and was about to say something when she caught Riddle twirling the wand in his hand. "Tom, why do you have Harry's wand?"

Riddle smiled. "He won't be needing it."

"Why not?"

Harry butt in then. "Listen, we've got to go!" Harry huffed as he struggled to stay upright. "If the basilisk comes..."

"It won't come until it's called." Riddle assured them. Bella felt her gut twisting.

"What do you mean Tom?" Bella asked softly, watching him pocket the wand.

"Don't worry Bella, Harry won't be needing his wand." Riddle said smoothly. "We're just going to have a nice chat."

"We don't have time to chat!" Harry said lowering Ginny back to the floor. "We need to get out of here!"

Bella looked from Tom to Ginny then took a deep breath. "How did Ginny get like this Tom?"

"Well that's an interesting question." Riddle said. "And quite a long story. I suppose the real reason Ginny Weasley's like this is because she opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, walking slowly to stand by Bella.

"The diary." Riddle pointed to it. "My diary. Little Ginny's been writing in it for months and monmths, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes--how her brothers tease her, how she had to come to school with second-hand robes and books, how--" Riddle looked at Bella with a smile, "--how Bella Malfoy was her rival and how she didn't think famous, good, great, Harry Potter would ever like her..."

Bella noted the hungry look in Riddle's eyes as he stared at Harry. Her stomach twisted into more knots and she had to take deep breaths to keep from gagging.

"It's very boring, having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven-year-old girl. But I was atient.I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind. Ginny simply loved me. 'No one's ever understoo me like yo uTom.. I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in...It's like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket..."

Riddle laughed and Bella curled her hands into fists even as the hair on the back of her neck stood up.

"You are very good at charming people Tom." Bella said. Riddle grinned at her now.

"You would know, wouldn't you Bella."

"If I hadn't gotten rid of your diary...would I be in Ginny's place?" Bella asked now. Riddle looked at her oddly.

"Perhaps..." He said and watched in amusement as Harry bristled. "Perhaps not. You are much more intelligent than Ginny could ever hope to be." Tom walked forward, smiling when Harry took a step in front of Bella. "I realized how much stronger you were when you realized the diary was the reason for your loss of memory. You see, unlike you who attributed those missing hours to my diary, Ginny was at a complete loss. She continued to pour her soul into my diary...and her soul was exactly what I needed. I grew stronger with every fear and secret dear Ginny told me. I grew powerful...far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to feed Miss Weasley a little of my secrets, to pour a little of my soul into her..."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, his mouth dry.

"He used her Harry." Bella said as she reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. "He used Ginny."

"Used her?"

"He made Ginny open the Chamber." Harry turned to Bella, his eyes wide. Bella was trembling. "That's why Ginny must have tried getting rid of it. She must have figured it out after a while. Like some of my memories, she must have lost hours of memory."

"Correst Bella." Tom smiled at her in what others might have seen as a warm way. Bella just shuddered. "You truly are smarter than Ginny. It took her a very long time to distrust the diary. You took only a week." Tom grinned at her then. "I knew your strength when you managed to survive my first attack."

"That was you, while you were using Ginny." Bella stated, her hand tightening on her wand.

"Yes. The second time we met I felt your power Bella." Tom took another step and Harry moved more in front of Bella. "It is a beautiful thing...so ready to burst out of you, to be used to gain you a place by my side."

Bella shook her head. "I don't to be one of your followers." Bella's eyes flashed then. "I won't follow you like my father did."

Riddle laughed again. "Yes well, we'll see." He turned his hungry gaze onto Harry once more. "I was so hoping I'd get to meet you Harry Potter."

"Why did you want to meet me?" Harry asked, making sure to keep himself between Bella and Riddle.

"Well you see, Ginny told me all about you. Your whole fascinating history." Riddle practically leered at the scar on Harry's forehead. "For many months now my new target has been you." Riddle said and Bella felt her stomach completely disappeared along with her breath. "Bella said enough for me to know about your search for Slytherin's heir. And from everything Ginny had told me about you, I knew you'd go to any lengths to solve the mystery--particularly if one of your best friends were attacked. And Ginny told me the whole school was buzzing because you could speak Parseltongue..."

"So I made Ginny write her own farewell and come down here. She cried and fought and became very boring. But there isn't much left in her now. She put too much into the diary, into me. Enough to let me leave it's pages at last. I've been waiting for you to appear since we arrived here. I have many questions for you Harry Potter."

"Like what?" Harry spit out.

"How is it that you, a skinny boy with no extraordinary magic, managed to deeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you manage to escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed.

"Why do you care how I escaped?" Harry said as Bella bit her lip, her stomach returning with a queasy lurch. "Voldemort was after your time..."

"Voldemort is my past, present and future." Riddle replied. He took Harry's wand and wrote in the air. The shimmering letters spelled out the name **Tom Marvolo Riddle**. Bella and Harry watched him flick his wand and the letters rearranged themselves, to spell **I Am Lord Voldemort**.

"Oh Merlin..." Bella whispered.

"You see?" Riddle boasted. "You think I would keep my filthy Muggle father's name forever? I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin, through my mother's side? I, keep the name of the foul, common Muggle who abandoned me even before I was born because he found out his wife was a witch? No Harry--I fashioned myself a new name, one I knew wizards would fear when I became the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

Bella and Harry stared at the young man before them, looking crazed and proud of all the evil he had done, all the evil he would do if given the chance. Neither of them could believe this boy, this orphaned boy who reminded Harry so much of himself, could actually be the infamous Dark Lord.

"You're not." Harry said quietly, his simple words holding a world of hate.

"Not what?" Riddle asked. Bella smirked then, rolling her eyes.

"Not the greatest sorcerer of the world." Bella said.

"Sorry to disappoint you and all that but the greatest wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore. Everyone says so. Even when you were strong you didn't dare try to take over Hogwarts. Dumbledore saw right through you when you were at school and he still frightens you now, wherever you're hiding these days--"

Riddle looked not as handsome as before. Bella would say his face had taken on a waxy complexion. And his glowing red eyes did nothing for his ugly expression.

"Dumbledore's been scared out of the castle by the mere memory of me!"

"He's not as gone as you might think!" Harry shouted now, wanting to get back at Riddle.

"He'll never be truly gone." Bella affirmed, lifting her wand and pointing it at Riddle. She might not know enough to beat him or even last long, but she knew enough to distract Riddle long enough. And she had her power of purpose. Right now her purpose was to protect Harry and Ginny from this madman.

"Not so long as there are those loyal to him." Harry added.

From out of nowhere came a shriek and then beautiful music filled the chamber. A blur of scarlet appeared in the chamber and they followed it's path. It dropped a bunch of black cloth at Bella who caught it just as the scarlet bird revealed itself to be Fawkes. Fawkes landed on Harry's shoulder.

"That's a phoenix." Riddle said eyeing Fawkes who eyes Riddle right back. "And that's the old school hat..." Bella unfurled the bundle to find it really was the Sorting Hat. Riddle took a moment then began laughing. His laughter rang around the chamber, making Bella bristle angrily. "So this is what Dumbledore sends his defenders. A songbird and an old hat..." Riddle grinned viciously. "Do you feel brave and safe now Harry Potter?"

Bella and Harry turned to each other. Bella wasn't looking too pleased with this but then she smiled briefly at Harry. "Whatever you decide Harry...I'll stand by you." She promised.

"To business Harry." Riddle said suddenly, startling them out of their moment. "Twice, in my future and your past, we have met. And twice I have failed to kill you. How did you survive? Tell me everything. The longer we talk," Riddle looked over at Bella, "the longer you both stay alive." Bella just lifted her wand a little more and tossed her hair back. She was a Malfoy after all. Malfoys face death with honor and dignity, and if possible a smirk on their lips.

"No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me. I don't know myself. But I know why you couldn't kill me. Because my mother died to save me. My common Muggleborn mother." Harry added and Bella gave a small jerk. Harry remembered then that Mireya was Muggleborn too... Would Bella get out of here alive? Would Mireya ever see her daughter again? Harry suddenly felt ill but pushed it away when he saw how strong Bella's arm was and how completely unfazed she seemed. Only her eyes gave away the building fear and the irritation Riddle caused her.

"She died to save him. And that's why you couldn't kill him." Bella said suddenly, her voice strong. "When someone dies for you, if they cared for you enough, then their death gives you a special protection." Bella smirked then. "You must have overlooked that in your eagerness Tom." Bella grinned a sharks grin at the snarl he sent her way. "You're a wreck by the way. Ugly and foul and nothing more than a cloud of dust--" She stopped and took a deep breath. "Anything you want to add Harry?" She asked sweetly. Harry had to admire that. She could be so collected even in the face of the worst wizard to ever live.

"No you covered it all." Harry replied, grinning recklessly as well.

"So. I see. Yes, that would be a powerful countercharm." Riddle said after schooling his face into a calm mask. "So there really is nothing special about you at all. I wondered. We are strangely alike, I'm sure you noticed?" Harry had noticed the similarities between them, which was another reason he'd been shocked at Riddle's identity. "That's all I wanted to know. Now, let's do a little test. The power of Salazar Slytherin, against yours."

Bella felt a shudder run down her back as Riddle turned to the statue and began hissing. Turning to Harry she saw him gulp. "What'd he say?" Bella demanded when the giant stone face began to move.

"Speak to me Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four." Harry translated and they watched in horror as something began stirring in the mouth. "Shut your eyes." Harry ordered. Bella did so as something heavy fell to the ground with a thud. "Give me your hand." Bella slid her hand in his. "Don't try anything Bella. You'll only make him angry." Harry warned and Bella grimaced.

"Okay." Bella agreed as they huddled blindly, wondering where the beast was.

_"Kill him!" _Riddle hissed at the giant snake. _"But leave the girl unharmed." _

"What'd he say now?" Bella whined, frustrated that she couldn't understand the snake speech.

Harry didn't bother answering then. He dragged Bella with him, wondering why the girl didn't listen to him. Last year had been scary enough but now they had a giant king of serpents after them! Voldemort laughed behind them, and Bella cried out as she tripped, falling down and pulling Harry with her. The two kept their eyes shut tight as they sat up and tried to sense where the snake was.

And suddenly Bella knew. She could feel it. It, Harry, Voldemort. She could feel them. "Harry!" She gasped. "Come on!" She dragged him to his feet and raced ahead, stopping just short of hitting the wall. They ran along the wall and then dashed to the right where Bella sensed empty space. But once again she fell, this time due to the basilisk's weaving tail. They fell and Bella threw herself over Harry. Bella just knew whatever happened, Harry had to be all right. Or else they wouldn't be the only ones to suffer.

As they lay there, Harry trying to get Bella off him, they waited for the poisonous fangs. But instead of fangs there came a shriek and hissing filled the air. Something wet plopped near them. That wet plop opened their eyes and they stared, cautiously, at the place where the basilisk was.

It was thrashing around in pain it seemed. Fawkes circled around it's head and dived, drilling it's claws into the snake's eye. Blood spilled forth, causing more wet plops on the floor. But Bella and Harry grinned, if only for a second. The snake turned and it's eyes were bleeding and pecked out but more to the point no longer deadly.

_"NO! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU! YOU CAN STILL SMELL HIM! KILL HIM! AND CAPTURE THE GIRL!" _

"I don't know what he said and I don't wanna know!" Bella said as the serpent turned towards them drunkenly, still with a mouthful of deadly fangs.

"We need help. We need help." Harry muttered as he pulled Bella along with him and pushed her into a corner, out of the reach of the basilisk's swinging tail.

"I could help if you'd stop pinning me!" Bella snapped, trying to push Harry away.

"And I wouldn't pin you if you'd stay safe!" Harry snapped back, eyes flickering from the basilisk to the memory. Voldemort was getting stronger, more defined, and that was not good.

"Harry!" Bella cried out as the tail swung too close and knocked Harry to the side, slamming him against a pillar. Bella managed to dodge the snake's tail and started running towards Harry when she was once more tripped. "Damned snake!" She bit out as its tail wrapped around her legs and tugged. She screamed, looking wildly around as she was lifted into the air.

"Bell..." Harry wheezed, getting up from the floor. He slipped a little and looked down to find his hand resting on the Sorting Hat. In a moment of desperation he jammed the hat on his head. _Help, help, please help! _He thought as he listened to Bella's curses. He briefly wondered where such a sweet girl learned so many bad words.

Then something heavy hit his head and he cried out, at the same time Bella did. Removing the hat Harry found a sword in it. Pulling it out he studied the silver and ruby sword...until another shout from Bella made him look around for her.

Bella was free of the basilisk but was now being held by Voldemort, against whom she was struggling and trying to hurt. Voldemort was laughing and the snake was focused on Harry now.

_"KILL THE BOY NOW! GO AND SMELL HIM! KILL HIM!" _Voldemort shouted as he muttered a spell and Bella suddenly fell limp in his arms. Harry's eyes widened but he had the sword in his hands and he was ready. Bella needed him and Ginny needed him. He wasn't going to die. He wasn't going to let Ginny die or Bella to be hurt. The snake lashed out and Harry dodged. He rolled and landed against the wall again. The basilisk lunged once more and its tongue licked his side as Harry once more shifted to the side. It was getting angry and so was Harry. Damn stupid snakes!

The basilisk hissed in pure anger then lunged. This time Harry stood his ground and pushed the sword into the snake's flesh, right up to the hilt, gasping as pain blossomed in his arm and warm blood sprayed over his robes and arms. Harry cried out as the basilisk gave a last dying hiss. Harry yanked the sword out and saw to his horror that a fang had embedded itself in his arm.

Voldemort chuckled as the boy dropped the sword and collapsed after taking only a few steps towards him. Fawkes fluttered down beside him. Voldemort knew he'd won and so he brought Bella back to consciousness, chuckling as the girl stared around for a few seconds before returning to her senses. "Harry! Harry!" Voldemort let her go. She could do nothing for the boy after all.

Bella ran forward and knelt beside Harry as well. She felt tears well up in her eyes as Harry looked up at her, his beautiful eyes growing dull right in front of her. "Bell...you were great too." Harry told her. "You have to...save Ginny..." Bella nodded, sniffling as Harry reached up to grasp her shoulder.

"You're dead Harry Potter." Voldemort said, having walked closer to enjoy Harry's death more. "Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see him? He's crying."

Fawkes was indeed crying, which was making Bella cry even as she tried to bite her lip and keep from doing it. "I'm going to sit here and watch you die Harry Potter." Voldemort was saying now. "Take your time. I'm in no hurry."

"Shut up!" Bella shouted at him, holding Harry's head on her lap now. She covered her face with her hands. "Shut up! Shut up! You're so damned evil..."

"Yes I am Bella." Voldemort said, smirking at her. "And you will be too, with time."

Bella looked up but then shook her head. She turned her attention to Harry, not wanting him to die listening to her and Riddle argue. She tuned out whatever Voldemort was saying, instead sniffling and then leaning down to kiss Harry's forehead. She looked over at Fawkes who was still crying then. Bella sniffled louder and brushed Harry's bangs out of his eyes, watching his eyes. That's when she saw them change. Instead of turning lifeless they began to sparkle again.

"Get away bird." Voldemort said. "Get away from him..." Voldemort shot a blast at Fawkes and the phoenix took flight. "Phoenix tears." Voldemort said as Harry slowly sat up, making sure to block Bella from Voldemort's direct sight. "Of course, healing powers...I forgot..." Bella wiped her eyes then, happily clutching onto Harry's robe sleeve. He gave her a quick reassuring look before facing Voldemort once more. "But it makes no difference really. In fact, I prefer it this way. Just you and me Harry Potter...you and me..." Voldemort waved the wand at Bella who suddenly found herself sliding against the ground, stopping against Ginny, hands bounds behind her back and wand rolling away from her.

Fawkes appeared then however, with rush of wings he dipped down and dropped something in Harry's lap. The three conscious wizards in the room stared at the item. Riddle's diary.

Then the moment passed and Harry moved quickly, grasping the basilisk fang that had nearly killed him and stabbed it into the heart of the book. Voldemort began disintegrating and Bella wriggled around to shield Ginny as Riddle broke into pieces and then exploded in a burst of light.

Harry stabbed the diary until the very last traces of Riddle were gone. Ink oozed eeriely from the book as they watched the space where just seconds before Riddle had stood, ready to dole out Harry's fate.

Harry then got up when Bella grunted after trying to get up and slipping. "Oh sorry Bell." Harry said getting up and untying her then going over to retrieve their wands. Bella threw her arms around him as she began laughing brightly. Harry laughed too. "You really were great Bell!"

"Oh but I was so scared! You almost _died_!" Bella whispered the last word. Harry just smiled faintly. Then Harry found himself being squished in a new hug. He hugged her back and then the two shared another relieved laugh.

A faint moan brought their attention back to the reason they'd come down here. Ginny. They raced back to her side and Bella began checking her vitals once again as Ginny looked to Harry.

"Harry--oh Harry--I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I couldn't say it in front of percy--it was me Harry--but I--I s-swear I d-didn't mean to--R-Riddle made me, he took me over and--how did you kill that--that thing?" Ginny asked looking over at the basilisk's body. Bella finished her scans then.

"You're gonna be all right Ginny." Bella said and Ginny whirled around to face her. The two girls stared at each other for a long moment before Ginny blushed and looked away.

"Th-Thank you." Ginny said and Bella nodded. "Where's Riddle? The last thing I remember is him coming out of the diary--"

"Harry got rid of him." Bella said, slowly beaming at Harry. Ginny looked at him and Harry held up the diary as proof. Ginny stared at it in shock. "Him _and_ the basilisk." Bella added making Harry flush pink. Bella stood up then and held out a hand to Ginny who began weeping then.

"I'm going to be expelled!" Ginny wailed suddenly and Harry was glad Bella was there as Ginny threw herself at the older girl's arms. Bella was shocked but she pat Ginny's head and shook her own.

"Hush now. We just have to tell the truth." Bella smiled kindly at the redhead. Their war could continue on another day. Right now the first-year needed reassurance and to rest after this long year of getting possessed by Riddle. She shuddered as she and Harry led the girl through the chamber, pausing only for Harry to collect the sword. Then they made their way through the tunnel and back to the cave where Ron was overjoyed at seeing Ginny alive and Draco began shouting at Harry about dragging Bella into danger. Harry shut him up though when he said he'd have to hold onto Lockhart's hand.

Fawkes used his magical strength to lift them out through the pipes and back into the real world.

-----------------

Bella stared at Ginny as the two girls stood in the hallway. The sounds of people rushing under them towards the train was dimmed as they stood there, Bella holding an armful of clothes from the Room of Forgotten Things, Ginny holding a few of the gifts from her friends. They were silent for a minute, each refusing to be the first to speak. But then Ginny gave in and sighed heavily.

"I don't like you." Ginny said while cocking an eyebrow as if daring Bella to complain. Bella just tossed her thick braid over her shoulder and cocked an eyebrow in return. "Well say something!" Ginny demanded as the seconds ticked past once more. Bella shut her eyes then opened them slowly, eyeing the year younger girl with a very Malfoy mask on her face.

"I don't like you either Ginevra." Bella finally said. "I think you're a jerk." She added with a smirk. "I only helped because even you don't deserve to die in a Chamber because of some crazy madman."

Ginny balked, having expected Bella to deny disliking her, to try and be humble about helping save her life. Instead Bella had just told her the truth. And that really annoyed Ginny like crazy.

"I'm the jerk!?"

"Yes you are." Bella replied, turning to continue on her way to the Slytherin common room. "You started this feud by hating me Ginny. Always remember you started and continued it. I don't know why, and I don't very much care how long it keeps going on. Just know this: I won't ever forgive you." Bella's silver eyes pierced right through Ginny. "You can decided to end this whenever you wish Ginny. I'll accept your apology. But I won't forgive you for being such a jerk when I never did anything to you." Bella then nodded to Ginny and went on her way.

Later on, when they met on the train, the two girls nodded at each other then went on their way.

Bella entered Harry's compartment and Harry scooted over to make room for her. Hermione and Ron welcomed her with friendly hellos and the four began laughing and playing cards together.

It wasn't until the end of the train ride, when Harry and Bella were alone, that Harry turned to her. "Thank you Bell."

"For what?" Bella asked.

"Staying by my side." Harry replied, giving her a hug. Bella hugged him in return. "And I wanted to thank you for something else."

"Hmm?"

"For crying for me." Harry said and Bella blushed softly, smiling nonetheless.

"You're my friend Harry. I was afraid I'd lose you before I really got to know you." Bella said and Harry grinned at her. "Besides, Ron and Hermione would have cried too."

"Yeah I know. But," Harry paused and turned to face her as the Dursleys scowled disapprovingly at him. "But it just feels like when you cried...it was...more important...or something..." Harry blushed then and shook his head. Bella giggled as she gave him one last hug before he hurried to catch up to Ron and Hermione.

"Bye-bye!" Bella called to her Gryffindor friends as they left with their respective families. Draco came up to her then. He was still furious with them for letting her get in harms way but even he couldn't help a smile as the three Gryffindors waved back at Bella.

"Come on Bella. Let's go home." Draco said, glad that his sister was still happy and more importantly safe. Bella took his hand and they hurried back to the train.

-----------------

Mireya and Narcissa smiled as they listened to the recount of Draco and Bella's year. They were still shaken with how close Bella came to being hurt, and they were disturbed about Riddle's memory coming to life, but when their children were like this, happily laughing and playing like other children, they could forget the bad things in the world.

Bella and Draco for their part were just glad they'd gotten out of this year practically unscathed. But Draco promised himself Bella wouldn't fall into harm's way again. Bella for her part promised herself many things.

To work on her power, which she was sure was the reason she'd managed to sense the basilisk in the Chamber.

To never feel bad about Ginny hating her ever again.

To become stronger.

And finally Bella promised herself that she was never letting Harry Potter get hurt like that again. She didn't think she could watch him die and remain sane.

"Ah! Finally! My own bed!" Draco said as he snuggled into his bed a few hours later. Bella smiled as she snuggled into the bed as well. She wasn't ready to sleep on her own yet. "It's good to be home."

"Mmhmm." Bella agreed as she shut her eyes. "I don't regret it though." She whispered to her brother. "I would have helped Harry no matter what."

"You're an idiot. And so is he." Draco scoffed.

"I'd do the same for you."

"You're my sister, of course you would."

Bella giggled and nodded, snuggling under the sheets once more. "It's not that much different to me Draco. I feel very protective of Harry."

"I know, I know." Draco muttered, reaching out to flick her nose. Then he sighed. "You're such a sweetheart for a Slytherin Bella."

Bella giggled more and shut her eyes. It didn't matter if Draco never stopped hating her friendship with Harry. All that mattered was that the two boys she cared about the most were safe.

And it was then that Bella realized exactly how much she cared for Harry. Feeling a blush on her cheeks she stared up at the ceiling for a long time after Draco had fallen asleep.

What exactly did it mean though, that she cared about Harry so much?

"I guess, we'll have to wait and see." Bella mumbled as she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

**End Part Two**

* * *

**_Tah-dah! Year Two over! Woot! Only three more years to go before I get to the part I'm waiting for! Hehe! Sorry for the long wait! I just couldn't get motivated! No excuse but gomen gomen! I hope you enjoyed! Till next time! _**


	14. Fresh Start

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) _**

**_Here we go! Part three! Enjoy and thanks for your continued readership! _**

**_I no owny HP. HP belongs to Ms. Rowling. I am just a happy fanfic-authoress with a vivid imagination. ^^_**

**_--------------_**

**_Part Three_**

**_--------------_**

**_Chapter Fouteen: Fresh Start_**

**_-------------_**

_Happy Birthday Harry! _

_I hope this is all right. I'm still not sure what to get my friends for their birthdays. Which makes me wonder if Ron liked the set of Quidditch Gloves I got him this year... Oh! But anyway! Hehe!_

_Really those Muggles sound horrid. Mama even said they sound worse than her family--which is saying something considering all I've ever heard about the Diaz half of my family is that they're a bunch of hypocritical wankers (Draco's words not mine). If you need any help you know I have no qualms against breaking a few rules and sending them all a hex with the next post. I've learned some really good ones from Tia Cissa. _

_We went to Spain this summer Harry! It was so beautiful. And Mama showed us the little cottage she used to live in with my Father. Hearing the stories and seeing how good he was to both Mama and Tia Cissa has me feeling confused though. I mean, how very bad could he have been if he was so kind to them? I don't get it Harry, I just don't and it makes my head hurt. _

_Oh but that's not what I wanted to write about darn it all. I meant to ask how you've been doing and to see if you're going to Diagon Alley the week before term starts. That's when we've decided to go get our things. _

_Well I'll tell you more about my summer if you tell me about yours. ALL about yours, no skimping on the details. Besides if you tell me the truth, I'll just be able to narrow down the list of hexes I want to send to your relatives. (I'm kidding...mostly.)_

_Write back soon! _

_Much love, _

_Bell_

Harry grinned as he set aside the letter with Bella's swirly and delicate scrawl. Hers was the last of the nice pile of presents he'd gotten this year. From Ron who was in Egypt he got a Sneakoscope. From Hermione in France he got a broom servicing kit. Hagrid had sent him a killer book, which was typical of the really gentle giant.

Now turning to Bella's gift he opened it up and saw there were two smaller boxes in it. Curious he pulled out the smaller of the two and opened it. A glint of gold flew out and then twirled around his head. Snatching it out of thin air he saw it was Snitch. Inside the box was a scrap of paper that read: _To keep you from dying of boredom. _Chuckling he let the Snitch fly around some more and turned to the other box. Inside was a brand new set of glasses.

Harry stared for a long moment then pulled them out and put them on. Everything was blurry for a moment then he felt a tingle across his eyes and the glasses adjusted themselves to the correct perscription. Inside this box the little note read: _Because you need new ones Potter if you're going to be friends with a Malfoy. _This note's scrawl was clean and sharp, much like Malfoy's voice. Harry gaped for a long time at the note then snorted and went to see how the glasses fit. They weren't like the old round ones he'd had since forever. He had to admit, he looked loads better with these new frames. He would have taken the glasses off in an instant if not for the fact that he trusted Bella wouldn't send him something cursed.

Overall it was the best birthday ever.

* * *

Mireya knelt by the garden, wiping sweat from her forehead and feeling sticky. It was a warm, muggy sort of day. It'd be raining sheets soon, she figured, looking up at the sky. Looking over her shoulder she saw Draco and Bella practicing a shield charm Narcissa had taught them. Although she felt it was wrong to break the rules right under Dumbledore's nose bascially, she was grateful Narcissa taught them so much during the summer. Not only was Bella proving she'd need it, but Mireya just had a bad feeling about all of this.

Ever since they'd come back from Spain, Mireya had felt that little sense of forboding as the date for the children's return to school came up. There was danger in the air. A thick cloak of it falling all around them. Danger for Bella, for Draco, and poor Harry. She prayed no harm would come to them this year but really what could she do? Her days were spent at St. Mungo's, and the children needed to go to school. Although Narcissa could teach them many things about spells and charms, she wasn't nearly qualified enough to home school the children.

Added to that the fact that Bella had already told her mother point-blank that she wasn't going to be kept locked up any more. Mireya had never thought Bella felt like that but then again Bella did such a good job hiding her truest feelings.

Still it helped very little indeed that the place where she was supposed to be safe had nearly been the place of her death...twice! Mireya couldn't understand how Bella kept getting herself into such situations. Did her daughter have no sense of self-preservation at all? Really?

And now this year was going to start off and Mireya had that premontious feeling deep in her gut that threatened to make her do something crazy--like lock Bella up in a tower. No doubt Severus would be amused...

Mireya shuddered as the faint breeze picked up and swept through the garden, causing her to shudder. It was as if the earth itself were trying to warn her. There was danger. But where it came from, Mireya couldn't say.

"Mireya!" Narcissa called then and the Spaniard witch rose from the ground, dusting herself off just as the first drops of rain began to fall. The flimsy clouds had condensed and now they looked more menacing than ever. Mireya hurried over to the shelter of the veranda, making it in time to avoid the downpour. The little family stood there in silence for a few moments, watching the rain hit onto the walkway of smoothed stones and splash up mud in the flowerbeds. Mireya and Bella both breathed in deeply, letting their breaths out slowly. The scent of renewal. It wiped away Mireya's fears for the moment.

Bella looked around then at the shadowy world and smiled. This in-between grey area always made her smile. It was neither dark nor light and yet it could be beautiful. She felt like that at times. In-between. It wasn't such a bad place to be really.

While looking out at the rain-soaked grounds Bella noted a blob of inky black coming out of the bushes. "_Mama, mira_." Bella said pointing at the blob as it made its way towards a bench.

"_Es un perro." _Mireya replied.

"A dog?" Draco asked, looking into the grey and seeing that yes, indeed the blob was a dog. "Ugh a mutt." Draco added as the dog slinked under the bench.

"Poor thing." Bella pouted then she summoned her umbrella and dashed out into the rain, Draco close behind, grumbling about Bella's Gryffindor tendencies.

The Malfoy siblings peered at the poor creature who shrunk away from their hands. Bella shot Draco a grimace, then handed him the umbrella and knelt in the wet grass. "It's all right _perrito_. We won't hurt you." Bella cooed softly. "_Verdad_ Draco?"

"Right." Draco replied. "He's awfully thin though. Maybe we ought to just put it out of its misery." Draco got an elbow in the thigh for his insight. Bella then reached out again and this time the dog actually looked at her. Bella could swear those odd grey eyes were _really_ seeing her.

"_Ven aqui perrito_." Bella called to it. "Come here. It's all right." The dog sniffed at her fingertips then it slowly came out. It took a few steps before falling into her lap. Bella gasped then wrapped her arms around it and carried it to the porch where Narcissa and Mireya waited with towels and bemused smiles on their faces. Bella was soaked of course but she didn't care about that. "Mama, look at it. Will it be okay?" Bella whispered as she lay the dog on a towel. Mireya began scanning it then turned to Bella with a smile.

"He's too skinny but aside from that he'll be fine. We just need to feed him up and give him a warm bath." Mireya promised. Bella sighed in relief while Draco pat the dog on the head once.

"We can keep him then?" Bella asked, eyes shining. Mireya nodded and Bella jumped for joy, hugging Draco who complained about her smelling like wet dog.

Mireya couldn't say why but she had a bad feeling that this dog would bring her a lot of troubles.

-----

Bella smiled as she sat by the dog in the kitchen, sighing at the ceiling. It was dark and she was tired but she couldn't sleep. "It's nothing really important." Bella said to the dog, scratching his ears. "Or rather it shouldn't be." She grimaced sa she put a hand on her chest and rubbed at the ache there. "I shouldn't want to know more about my dad should I?" She asked the dog softly. "No...no I shouldn't. I mean he kidnapped me and Draco...he wasn't going to let me be with Mama or Tia Cissa anymore..." Bella groaned as she curled up by the dog who whined softly. "I don't know why.... I dream about him sometimes _perrito_. He's begging for help. It hurts because he sounds like he's in pain." Bella sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I don't want to tell Mama or Draco or Tia Cissa. What if they think I'm being weird?"

The dog snuffled as it nuzzled her face. She smiled down at it, breathing deeply. "You're a good dog. Thanks for listening." Bella laughed as it licked her face. "Hehe! Ew! Doggy slobber!" She wiped at her cheek then eyed the dog thoughtfully. The dog snuffled and then sneezed making Bella laugh. "I think I'll call you Snuffles." Bella said, scratching his head. "Because you make that funny snuffly sound." The dog, Snuffles, huffed and licked her face. She squeed and laughed then with a final hug she left the dog and went back upstairs.

Sirius Black, aka Snuffles, watched her go with pensieve grey eyes.

* * *

Sirius wandered up the now familiar stairs, to the fourth floor. This he had learned was the children's floor. Draco had the large bedroom at the end of the hall to the left, and Bella had to one at the end on the right. He'd been in both bedrooms and knew that right now the two were still fast asleep.

He was getting his weight back, and he'd been moved to a room on the fourth floor now. A small guest room in which the bed had been Transfigured into a kingly dog bed. He had toys, a snack dispenser, and a patch of grass on the balcony which the house-elves cleaned thrice daily. He was living a very charmed dog's life.

Looking down the hall to the left, Sirius snuffled and shook his doggy head. Draco was a character all right. He'd demanded Sirius get groomed then went about figuring out all of Sirius's tricks. He'd only been satisfied when Sirius had responded to every command three times and then he'd gone on to start teaching him a few more he deemed necessary. Draco was all Malfoy as far as Sirius was concerned.

Bella was like his exact opposite. She was calm and sweet, much more Diaz than Malfoy. She cuddled him and fed him so many bits off her plate that Narcissa had teased the dog had eaten more than her. Sirius liked Bella the better out of the two but he didn't necessarily think Draco was a jerk. Especially not when he spied on the two while they played in the garden or worked in the library.

That held true for Snape as well. When Sirius had first seen the potion's master he'd growled and bared his teeth. Bella had relaxed him and then Sirius had had to suffer through Snape petting him. Severus called him a mutt and rolled his eyes. Sirius had been certain the git was as much a git as he remembered...until he'd seen how patient and caring he was with Bella and Draco. Seeing Snape acting fatherly had made him more tolerable sadly.

Sirius wandered into Bella's room, looking around when he saw the bed was messy but no child lay within. He turned when the bathroom door opened and Bella walked out, dressed and smiling brightly.

"Morning Snuffles." Bella said, reaching down to pet him. "Guess what today is?" She asked, grinning now. "It's my birthday! Lucky number thirteen! Hehe!" Just then the bedroom door opened and Draco tackled Bella. The two fell to the floor and Sirius grumbled when they nearly missed hitting their heads on the bed frame.

"Oh shut up mutt." Draco said affectionately tugging on Sirius's ear. Sirius licked his face, knowing Draco hated that. Sure enough the boy began grumbling and growling as he wiped at his face. Bella laughed and wrapped her arms around Snuffles's neck. Sirius nuzzled her and then he turned his head towards the door when it opened again. Severus peeked around the door and cocked an eyebrow seeing the kids on the floor. "Energetic this morning?" Severus asked with a chuckle when Bella jumped up and threw her arms around his middle.

"Papa Sev!" Bella squealed. Severus blinked but then pat her head and returned her hug.

"Papa Sev?" He asked and Bella nodded, her eyes a mysteriously dark silver. Severus wondered what was going on in that head of hers. "Why Papa?"

"Well if you don't like it I won't call you it anymore." Bella huffed, turning away only to be pulled back into a hug. She smiled as Severus kissed her forehead.

"I do not mind it Bella. I merely wondered where it had come from. You've never called me that before."

"I know." Bella replied, sighing lightly. "And I really oughta. I mean you are our dad, blood notwithstanding." Bella smiled sweetly up at Severus who was looking absolutely dumbfounded.

Just then Zephyr flew in through the window and shook off the moisture on his wings before hooting. Bella walked over to untie the letter. She looked at the sender then grinned.

"Who is it from?" Draco asked.

"Harry." Bella replied making Draco and Severus roll their eyes in unison.

"Bloody Potter." Draco muttered and Sirius paid closer attention. Obviously Harry wasn't well liked by Draco and Severus, which wasn't so surprising. Sirius watched Severus slip out after whispering something to Draco who nodded. Draco then dropped back on the ground beside Sirius, muttering as Bella looked over her letter. "So? What's Scarhead say?" Draco demanded. Bella rolled her eyes but gave her brother an indulgent sigh.

"_Dear Bell. Thanks for the presents. I love the Snitch and those glasses are cool too. I can't believe what a difference the shape of the frames makes."_

"Of course not, plebian." Draco interrupted making Bella laugh as she sat by Sirius and Draco. "Well keep reading then."

Sirius rolled his eyes and then turned to Bella. "_I'm sorry I couldn't send your present with this letter. I'm still stuck with the Muggles. I'm grateful for the Snitch because Aunt Marge decided to visit and I need a distraction from that woman_."

"Aunt Marge?" Draco asked, sneering at the common name. Bella shrugged and returned to her letter.

"_She's such a nightmare. She's Uncle Vernon's sister--enough said there right?_" Bella winced sympathetically while Draco just looked puzzled. "_Oh well. The Muggles hate my guts no matter when Marge comes over. At least this year I won't have to worry about her damn dog chasing me up a tree while they all laugh_."

"He's joking right?" Draco asked.

"No." Bella said sadly. "His Muggle relatives are a nightmare Draco. Absolute nightmares." Bella looked back at her letter, smiling sweetly at Harry's untidy scrawl.

"_Oops. I didn't mean to be so depressing in your birthday letter. Sorry Bell_." Bella chuckled, imagining the look on Harry's face while he wrote that. "_Then again you threatened to hex me if I didn't tell you the truth so I might as well wrap this up. Uncle Vernon said he'd sign my Hogsmeade permission form if I behaved around Marge. I told him I would if she did and so far I'm proud to say I haven't given any of them a reason to not sign my form. I think you told me about it once_." Bella nodded at the words. "_Well anyways, that's how things are over here. So moving on... Happy Birthday! Like I said, I can't exactly go out and buy a present right now but as soon as I get to Diagon Alley I'll get you something. I can give it to you when you come for your school supplies_."

"He'd better." Draco warned. Bella laughed then.

"_Cheers on your birthday and take care! Harry_."

Draco rolled his eyes and turned to Sirius. "That Potter's such an idiot Snuffles." Draco muttered as Bella went to put the letter away and fed Zephyr some treats. Sirius looked up at him and saw Draco was staring at Bella with a sad smirk. "And Bella's ignoring what's right in front of her. Though whether it's for my sake or hers, I don't know." Draco sighed as he heard Mireya calling to them. Bella squeaked then hurried over to pull on some bracelets and her music box charm. Then she grabbed Draco's wrist and dragged him downstairs with Sirius following right behind, pondering the boy's words.

He brushed the thoughts aside for the day though as he celebrated Bella's birthday.

* * *

"Snuffles!" Bella called a few weeks later. They were in Diagon Alley, one of the places Sirius had thought he'd never see again. He looked away from Ollivanders and hurried towards her, barking and bouncing like a hyper puppy. Severus sneered down at him but Sirius just tossed his head and pranced over to Bella's side. She was so cute! Sirius could see Mireya in her but there was also all the things in her that made her Bella. Sirius had gotten closer to the two children the most over the past few weeks.

Sirius was just as excited as Bella today though. Because today they were meeting up with Harry and spending the remainder of the summer holidays with him. Sirius couldn't wait to catch a better glimpse of his godson than he had during his quick trip to Little Whinging.

Apparently Harry's accidental magic had made his Aunt Marge blow up like a balloon. Sirius had laughed himself silly when he'd heard that from Narcissa, who'd heard it from one of her Minsitry insiders. The lapse was forgiven of course because supposedly the "dangerous criminal Sirius Black" was on the loose and hunting for Harry's head. Where those Minsitry idiots came up with this bunk was a mystery.

So now Bella was leading the way up the street from Gringotts where she and Draco had just visited their vault and were heading to the Leaky Cauldron to rent rooms. Bella had asked for this and Draco had demanded to tag along to protect her. So Snuffles had gotten to come as well.

It was a beautiful, bright morning and since not very many people were out yet they figured Harry must still be in the pub, where he was apparently staying.

Sure enough as soon as they entered the pub they spotted him. Well Sirius spotted him and then the teens did as well. "Harry!" Bella called, waving cheerfully while Draco leaned against a wall. Harry looked up from his paper then turned and smiled widely. Sirius snuffled when he saw that look on his face and recalled the various mutterings Draco had unleashed on the dog. He had to agree with the blonde now. Harry and Bella were caught in a blind tango--they were obviously affectionate towards each other but they were too innocent--or as Draco had said about Harry, "Being a bloody blind idiot."--to notice what exactly was going on between them. Sirius watched with a doggy smile as Harry came over to them and was greeted with a big Bella hug.

"Wow Harry! Those glasses fit great!" Bella complimented the boy who smiled and pushed the frames up his nose.

"Thanks Bell. Oh, I got your present upstairs." Harry grabbed Bella's wrist and began dragging her up the stairs. "I'm so glad you're staying the rest of the week. I have no idea when Hermione or Ron will show up though. Hey where's Calixto?"

"Probably upstairs." Bella replied. "Mama sent him along with Zephyr so they should be in my room right now."

"Oi!" Draco called as he hurried after the two. "Bloody lovebirds." Draco sneered and turned to make sure Snuffles was following. "Can you see how much in puppy love they are? Ugh." Draco rolled his eyes skyward as Snuffles barked. "Merlin save me, he had to be a bloody effing Gryffindor too!"

Harry turned around at the bark and eyed the dog with round eyes. Bella looked from her friend to her new pet. "Oh right! That's Snuffles!"

"Snuffles?" Harry asked and Bella nodded.

"He makes this funny snuffling noise sometimes, like he's laughing." Bella said and Sirius pranced over to Bella's side, peering up at Harry with wide grey eyes. Harry snorted then and reached down to pet his head. "He wandered into the garden during a rain storm and Mama and Tia Cissa said we could keep him."

"He's a good mutt." Draco said now. "Aren't you Snuff?" Draco added, reaching down to scratch Sirius's ear.

Harry had to bite his lip to keep from grinning at hearing Draco Malfoy of all people coo over a dog. He turned quickly to Bella then paused. She looked different for some reason. She wore Muggle clothes still. Her hair was longer yes, with a streak of purple on the right half, and she wore a bit of eyeliner now which highlighted her silver eyes. Harry had never seen eyes like the Malfoys. No Muggle or Wizard had ever even come close to that silvery, mercury shade. The girl laughed at something Draco said in Spanish and then turned to Harry. She smiled sweetly as she caught him staring at her. "Well are we just gonna stand here or are you going to give me my present?" Bella asked, hands on her hips. Harry grinned then and led the way to his room.

Inside he dug around a pile of books and things to pull out the present he'd gotten at a shop in the alley. Draco leaned against the doorframe, watching the Gryffindor while Bella teased him about his messy room.

"Yes well we're not all perfect." Harry replied handing Bella the brightly wrapped box.

"I know. My room's not any better. I felt bad for the elves so I've started cleaning it by myself." Bella said as she plopped onto Harry's bed and opened the box, her eyes sparkling as she pulled out the figurine of a mermaid on a base that was shaped to look like a large rock and ocean spray. "It's Ariel!" Bella cheered, looking at the beautiful rendition of The Little Mermaid. Harry grinned as Bella turned the figurine on the side and found the built-in key. She twisted it and then stared in delight as Ariel came to life and began singing _Part of Your World_. "She's one of my favorites!" Bella said to Harry.

"I thought so." Harry replied, looking pleased with himself. Bella looked at him with a questioning grin and he explained. "You like music." Harry said simply. "And Ariel's supposed to have the prettiest voice in the sea so I just knew you'd like her."

Draco had to blink then he whispered to Snuffles, "Huh. Potter has a brain. Who would have thought?"

Bella smiled widely, throwing an arm around Harry and making the boy laugh at her enthusiasm. "The shopkeeper says she can be taught other songs too. The instructions are in the box I think." Bella pulled out a sheet of parchment and then put her singing mermaid into the box before hugging Harry tight again.

"You're the bestest friend a girl could have Harry!"

"Hey!" Draco snapped making both Harry and Bella laugh.

"Oh shut it Malfoy." Harry said with a smirk. "You're her brother, which makes you the ultimate best friend. No one's going to take your place you know." Draco gaped at Harry while the emerald-eyed boy turned to Bella with a cocked eyebrow. "He's so possessive Bell, how can you put up with him?"

"He's my big brother and I love him." Bella replied, hopping off the bed. "I'm gonna go put this away. Now play nice you two and I'll be back soon." Bella turned to Snuffles. "You keep them from hexing each other Snuffles." Sirius gave her his doggy smile. The Animagus turned then and bounded over to Harry, jumping around the boy and making him laugh. A laughing Harry was a nice sight. It reminded Sirius of the old days.

"So you really blew up your aunt?" Draco asked from the door. Harry reached out to scratch Sirius's ear and nodded, grinning sheepishly.

"I didn't mean to." Harry replied, his grin becoming a scowl. "But she wouldn't shut up about my parents. She doesn't know anything. How dare she...when she's not..." Harry muttered as he stared at the ground. Draco blinked then decided to prod Potter a bit.

"What was she saying?" Draco wondered. Potter might be a lot of things but he wouldn't have blown up his aunt without good reason.

"All sorts of stuff." Harry said, throwing his arms up then running a hand through his hopeless hair. "See my relatives hate magic. Aunt Marge doesn't even know I'm a wizard. The Dursleys think I'm filth but I'm used to that." Harry was letting the words spill out now. Telling Malfoy was all right. He wouldn't really give a rat's ass. Bella would probably cry if she knew the true extent of the horrors Harry faced when it came to the Dursleys. "But Marge...I don't see her all the time so it's hard to ignore her when she's around. Then again she's the size of a baby whale..." Harry looked up at Draco's snort to find the boy was trying to hide a laugh. Well now, that wasn't something you saw everyday. Draco Malfoy looking like his age.

"So she was insulting your parents?" Draco asked once he composed himself. Harry nodded.

"She kept saying I was a delinquent because of my parents. Bad blood will out or something like that." Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. "I had almost gottten through the whole week too and then she said something about my parents dying in a car crash, that my dad was a drunk and a good for nothing, that my mom was a bad egg." Harry shook his head then, clearing his head of Marge's voice.

"Car crash?" Draco asked.

"Yeah. That's the story the Dursleys came up with to explain why I was left on their doorstep." Harry replied shrugging. "Until Hagrid came to get me for first year, I didn't even know I could do magic. I just thought I was a freak or something." Harry laughed while Draco gaped at him.

"I thought that was just a rumor." Draco replied and Harry looked at him curiously.

"There's a rumor about me?" Harry asked.

"Potter, you're _Potter_. There are several rumors going on about you." Draco replied, rolling his eyes skyward. Harry chuckled at that.

"Yeah I guess you're right." Harry replied.

"Are you two done with your heart-to-heart?" Bella asked then, peeking around the corner, her eyes suspiciously bright. Harry and Draco jumped making her laugh as she entered the room with Calixto in her arms. The Kneazle meowed before jumping gracefully down to saunter over to Harry who scooped him up. Calixto liked being the center of attention.

"How long have you been listening in?" Draco demanded.

"Since you asked if he really blew up that Marge lady." Bella replied making Harry blush and Draco chuckle.

"Sneaky little Slytherin." Draco praised as he ruffled his sister's hair.

"I can be when I want to be." Bella replied and Harry had to laugh at the Malfoy smirk on her face. "Well are we gonna sit here all day or are we gonna go exploring?" Bella demanded. Harry grinned, putting Calixto on his bed.

"Where do you want to go first? I know the Alley pretty well by now."

Sirius followed along behind them, barking as the teens raced down the stairs and out into the hidden magical street.

* * *

"Harry?" Bella asked as she found Harry sitting by his window, staring out blankly while Calixto purred in his lap. She wondered what had happened because Harry had been all cheerful smiles just a few hours earlier. Ron and Hermione had brought even more cheer to their stay in the Leaky. Now though Harry sat here, in the dark, looking a little pale.

"Oh hi Bell." Harry replied forcing a smile on his face. Bella frowned and shook her head, closing the door softly and walking over to stand next to him. His smile faltered. "Come for Calixto?"

"Yes and then I saw you coming up the stairs like your arse was on fire." Bella muttered making Harry grin for a moment. A snuffling sound brought Harry's attention to Snuffles who had snuck in thanks to the darkness of his room. "What's wrong?" Harry had to smile a genuine smile then. Bella was awfully good at that. Knowing something was wrong with him. Even in her letters she would ask that question instead of "Are you all right?" The second question gave him a chance to deny it. Bella's question made him confront it.

"Not really." Harry finally said when it seemed Bella wasn't going to back down. She could be such a Gryffindor sometimes. "I just overheard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. And they were talking about me and..."

"And?"

Harry looked up at her. She had her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. He reached up to pat her shoulder.

"And apparently Sirius Black wants to kill me." He said, knowing it wouldn't shock Bella. It didn't. Bella's eyes opened wider and her expression changed from a pout to a sad resigned look. She dropped down next to him and sighed.

"Yeah I'd heard about that." Bella admitted making Harry blink. "Tia Cissa has people paid off in the Ministry so she hears things. She told Mama when she thought I wasn't listening. I didn't want to believe it but...well if Mr. Weasley says that then it's true." She scoffed then, looking up at Harry with her mercury gaze. "You have the worst luck in all the history of luck Harry Potter."

Harry grinned and nodded. "Yeah well having Voldemort after you can't be good for anyone." Harry replied. Bella laughed softly.

"Are you afraid?" Bella asked then.

"No." Harry replied honestly. "More like annoyed. Now I won't get to go to Hogsmeade with all the rest of you." Harry scowled then. "And no doubt I'll be watched like a hawk once we get to school."

"You're not the only one Harry." Harry turned to find Bella grinning wryly at the glass of the window. "Mama and Tia Cissa didn't want to let me go back to school this year." She turned to smirk at Harry. "Apparently me nearly dying twice is a little too much for them."

"I'm sorry about that." Harry said, remembering how just a few months ago Tom Riddle had been telling his basilisk to capture Bella. He still hadn't told her that...

"What are you apologizing for?" Bella demanded, reaching up to flick his nose. "You didn't force me to help you with the Stone or go with you in the Chamber. I was the one who did it and I'd do it again!" Harry felt himself blink then grin at the conviction in Bella's voice.

"Thanks for that." Harry muttered and Bella pat his shoulder now.

"Yes well no offense Harry but you can be utterly hopeless sometimes."

The two laughed and then Bella got up to hug Harry gently. "Don't worry. I won't leave your side. Even if you do have a crazy ax-murderer after you."

"Thanks." Harry said again as Bella lifted Calixto from his lap.

"You're welcome. Now sleep tight and don't worry about Black." Bella demanded. "And I'm sure we'll figure out a way to sneak you out to Hogsmeade at least once." Bella added before slipping out of his room. Harry grinned.

He was just glad it was the beginning of a new year. Hopefully this year Voldemort would let him relax and not try to kill him.

Hopefully.

* * *

**_Aaaaaand! That's a wrap! Part three has begun! Whee! Arigato for reading Waga Routashi!_**


	15. Bad and Worse

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) _**

**_I no owny HP. HP belongs to Ms. Rowling. I am just a happy fanfic-authoress with a vivid imagination. ^^_**

**_Part Three_**

**_Chapter Fifteen: Bad and Worse_**

Lucius Malfoy stared out past the bars of his cell. Six long years he'd been locked up here. He smirked though. Soon enough he'd be released however. Well not technically released. But he would be getting out and he was planning on righting more than a few of the wrongs that had landed him in this cell.

He had not been in his right mind until the day he landed in Azkaban. There had been something inside of him, controlling him, something dastardly and evil. He'd been weak against it and ended up losing everything.

He had a very good idea of what-or rather whom-had been controlling him and he planned to rain down justice. Just as soon as he managed to get out...

That would be easy though. All he had to do was wait. The Dementors were being ordered to search for Black, whom Lucius had heard had escaped. If he could do it, then so could Lucius. He would just wait for the most opportune moment...

Which seemed to be this evening. The Dementors usually gliding outside his cell were gone. They had been for a while. Lucius smirked. He heard quick steps clicking along the hall leading to his cell and so he leaned back against the wall, eyes shining with the first hints of life in over seven years.

"You were right Lucius." The person said as they came to a halt outside his cell door. "Everyone's so preoccupied with Black. It was much too easy reaching you. Fudge is such an idiot."

Lucius inclined his head and smirked more widely as the person fumbled with their wand to open the door. "I better be paid what you promised."

"You will be paid in full and I shall take this secret to my grave." Lucius replied, inwardly chuckling at what the promise of money could still buy him. "All you need to do is open this door and keep quiet."

"I'll keep quiet so long as I am paid." The person said and he began muttering under his breath. Within a few minutes, Lucius's cell door was swinging open innocently. "Is this it?" The person had been expecting a battalion of Aurors to descend on them by now.

"Yes this is all I'll require." Lucius chuckled. The person shifted uneasily as Lucius took his first steps beyond his cell door. "I will keep my end of the bargain. If you meet me in Diagon Alley a week from today, you will have your reward." Lucius then inclined his head to his accomplice. "You are very thrifty still I see. Thank you Reginald."

Reginald Calmouth, Lucius's partner-in-crime for so many years, grinned a very happy grin and bowed to the Malfoy Lord.

"Thank you Lord Malfoy. Oh and the home you requested is all set up. Here is the location, along with all the needed paperwork." Reginald motioned to his robe pocket and then held out a vial. "That is the Polyjuice Potion you asked for."

Lucius downed the contents and felt his skin bubble and morph into the shape of some decrepit old woman. Reginald snickered as he offered the 'old woman' his arm. Lucius took it after he'd shut the cell door. Together the two walked down the deserted hallway and past the remaining guards.

Once they were outside, Reginald Apparated them into Hogsmeade and led the old woman to a quaint but very well made home on the edge of the village. He then made sure Lucius had all that he required and left the blonde man to look around his new home.

He wouldn't be able to leave until he got a wand. For that he'd have to go out of the country, somewhere where he wouldn't be recognized.

But for now, he took deep breaths and stared with blazing eyes at the sky that was framed in the large picture window of his sitting room. Stars sparkled in spite of the pre-dawn light. Lucius had missed how beautiful it could be.

Then he turned slightly and found to his delight that in another of his windows was framed the magnificent sight of Hogwarts in all her glory. It wasn't the castle that lifted his spirits though. It was the thought of who would be inhabiting that castle that caused a vicious smile of glee to grace his features.

"Draco. Bella. My children. I will redeem myself to you both. And once I have done that you shall join me in Malfoy Manor, where you both rightfully belong."

Lucius blinked slowly as the light grew brighter and brighter then dimmer as clouds rolled in. He did not mind though. He was free. It was time to focus on clearing his name.

But first thing's first. A bath. Then he could begin to plot.

* * *

Bella followed Draco onto the train, Calixto safe in her grasp. She'd given Harry a meaningful wink then walked on ahead with Draco, who'd caught up to Blaise. Crabbe and Goyle sidled up on either side of Bella.

"Hello Vince, Greg." Bella greeted them.

"Hiya Bella." Crabbe said.

"How was your summer?" Goyle asked, taking Zephyr from her hand and giving the owl a treat. The boys really were coming into a greater intelligence it seemed, and into their own as young men. Well Bella could see it starting to grow in them. She felt they'd make great wizards, so long as they stayed up on their work. She'd make sure they did it though. She had faith in them.

"Oh it was perfectly all right." Bella replied.

"So is this mutt another birthday gift?" Blaise asked as they entered the compartment.

"Snuffles is not a mutt." Bella defended the canine as it jumped up on the seat to sit regally with his nose in the air. "And he was a stray. But we took him in. So he's another member of the family."

"Aren't you afraid he'll eat Calixto?" Crabbe asked as Calixto stretched and hopped over into Goyle's lap.

"No. Snuffles doesn't eat kitties." Bella replied, cooing at the dog who licked her cheek. She giggled then, petting Snuffle's head as the Slytherins caught up with each other.

It wasn't long past the time when the lunch trolley came that Bella felt something change in the air. She shivered and then sneezed. The Slytherin boys looked over at her and cocked their heads, wondering what was up. Bella shivered more and the train lurched to a halt.

"What's going on?" Blaise wondered while Draco reached over to hug Bella to him.

Bella let out a breath and watched in astonishment as it formed a white cloud. The boys looked at it then turned and looked out the window.

"Someone's getting on." Goyle said.

"What?" Blaise asked even as he pushed Goyle aside to peek out.

"That's impossible." Draco replied, eyes being drawn to the compartment lights which had begun to flicker.

Crabbe yelped then and they all turned to find him shaking his hand. But that was not what caused them worry. It was the fact that there was ice forming on the window.

Chill air filled the compartment and Bella shivered much more violently. Calixto and Snuffles were deadly silent.

The lights flickered and died, plunging them into a darkness caused by the storm clouds that had plauged them all day. Draco kept a tight grasp on Bella while they waited to discover what had happened.

Then they saw a figure in the corridor. The comparment door handle rattled and then the door was slid open. They all held up their wands-

"Bell!" Harry cried, rushing over to her and reaching out to place his hands on the tops of her shoulders. The Slytherins breathed a sigh of relief then groaned.

"Bloody hell Potter." Blaise said. Harry just rolled his eyes before focusing on his friend again.

"Why haven't you gotten a cloak on yet?" Harry grumbled, reaching over to grasp the deep plum colored robe that he knew was Bella's. He wrapped it around her then turned to the boys in the compartment. "Anyone got any idea what's going on?"

"No." Draco hissed, embarrassed that he hadn't remembered Bella's cloak. "We saw someone board though."

"So did we." Harry said, settling down beside Bella when Snuffles scooted over.

"What're you doing here anyway?" Draco demanded, narrowing his eyes as Harry lit his wand.

"I came to check on Bell." Harry said as if that was the most rational thing in the world. "You know Bell's sensitive to stuff like this." He added, his own emerald gaze narrowed.

"Bella's a lot tougher than you think." Draco said.

"Gee it's lovely being talked about like I don't understand simple English." Bella interrupted the growing squabble with an indignant huff.

"Sorry Bell." Harry apologized. "I just...well..." Harry shook his head and shrugged with a smile. Draco turned and shared a look with Blaise who was watching Harry with intrigued eyes.

"It's all right. Tia Cissa and Mama did it enough this summer-" Bella's words were cut off as another figure was spotted in the corridor.

The young teens watched as the figure moved, oddly to be sure, and stopped outside their door. The door slid slowly open and a disgusting looking hand was revealed in the small light of Harry's wand. The hand disappeared beneath a sleeve as the door was opened fully and a tall, towering figure in a dark cloak stood before them.

Harry and Draco unconsciously moved to protect Bella.

Their movement caught the figure's attention and it turned its head to stare at them.

Cold penetrated their limbs and Bella let out a small gasp as the cold hit more than just her skin. It sunk into her skin, into her chest, into every nerve and every fiber of her heart...

She watched as Harry's eyes rolled back and the boy fell to the ground, convulsing. Bella tried to reach out to help him but her own eyes rolled back.

She slid bonelessly next to Harry just as someone shouted and the cloaked figure turned to the shouter.

All Bella was aware of was that voices were overlapping in her head, and images were flashing before her eyes as a deep, intense coldness seeped into every bit of her heart. She tried to move herself, to curl up and hide from the voices and the cold but she couldn't move.

Draco stared at the two teens passed out on the compartment floor. The cloaked thing was gone now and the lights were flickering back on. He knelt by his sister and pulled her up into his lap.

A man knelt by Harry and began shaking him. Draco came out of his shock and began shaking Bella.

"Bella! Bella!" He shook a little harder than he intended but it did the trick and Bella groaned at the same time Harry was finally brought around. Both teens blinked and stared at their respective helpers.

"Uh...what...what happened Draco?" Bella asked as Draco squeezed her in a tight hug.

"Merlin's blood you scared me." Draco whispered into her ear.

"I don't feel so good." She moaned, curling in on herself. Draco pet her head and then looked up to find Harry being helped into his seat by the wizard who'd sent the Dementor packing.

"What happened? Where's that-that thing? Who screamed?" Harry asked now, looking around at the others before his eyes landed on Bella. "Bell!" He slid out of his seat again and reached out to the girl. She tried to give him a reassuring smile but she was still too shaken. "What happened?" Harry asked again, sounding a little more irritated this time.

"No one screamed Potter." Draco said, saying the first thing that he could get out of his mouth. Harry looked at him puzzled.

"But I heard screaming-"

A loud snap sounded then and they all jumped. Turning their heads they found the wizard breaking chocolate into pieces.

"Here." Said the man, passing out the pieces. "Eat it. It'll help."

It was a testament to how shaken they all were, that none of the Slytherins protested and simply began eating their pieces. Except for Harry and Bella. Bella felt too ill to eat anything right now, while Harry was determined to get answers.

"What was that thing?" Harry asked.

"Dementor." Draco blurted out and everyone turned to look at him.

"Yes, it was a Dementor." The wizard said. He gave Draco a wondering look that Draco turned away from. "One of the dementors that guard Azkaban."

"An Azkaban guard?" Blaise piped up then. "What would an Azkaban guard be doing here?"

"Probably searching for Sirius Black." The man said with what sounded like utter contempt in his mild tone. Then he spotted Bella and Harry and his tone softened to kindness once more. "Eat the chocolate. It'll help. I need to speak with the driver, excuse me..."

There was silence after the man left then Crabbe spoke up.

"Who was that?"

"Professor R.J. Lupin." Harry muttered. When he was pinned with astonished looks he managed to smirk. "He was in my compartment, Hermione saw his name on his suitcase." Harry bit into his chocolate and was surprised that it did indeed make him feel better. He saw Bella was still looking too pale and a little green. "Go on Bell. The chocolate really does help."

"But I feel like I might puke." Bella whined.

"Eat it Bella." Draco demanded softly. Bella groaned but took a little nibble. When it indeed seemed to help rather than worsen she took a bigger nibble. Soon she was relaxing against Draco as her brother pet her hair. Bella had scared him, which was why Draco was so damned incompetent, in his mind at least. He did his best to soothe Bella as Harry got the story of what had occured from the other Slytherins.

Lupin returned after a few minutes just as Harry helped Bella into her seat. The girl gave him a grateful smile before she turned and snuggled against Draco. Snuffles lay at her feet and Calixto climbed into Harry's lap, stretching out so that his front half was on Bella's legs and his bottom half remained in Harry's lap.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes." Lupin informed the teens. "Are you all right Harry?"

"Fine." Harry said, turning to look at Bella. Lupin looked at her as well.

"And you miss?"

"I'm all right." Bella muttered faintly. She had her eyes shut. "I'm just...worn out."

Lupin nodded understandingly. "I am going to see if there are others who need assistance. Are you all well?" The teens nodded and so Lupin popped away.

"Hey Malfoy." Harry turned to Draco who looked at him over Bella's head. "How did you know what that thing was?"

Draco turned a bit paler than he already was and then bowed his head, so that his blonde fringe hid his eyes.

"After our father's trial..." Draco said, his mind taking him back to that day. "He was escorted away by a pair of them. I asked Mother what they were." He shrugged but kept his eyes hidden.

Bella though, stared right back at Harry who reached over to place a comforting hand on her own hand. Bella managed another grateful smile before she too shut her eyes and silence fell over all of them.

Harry probably had no idea how touched Bella was at that moment. He'd come to find her and make sure she was all right. No one aside from Draco had ever worried so much for her. It created a tender warmth that chased away the last of the lingering cold.

Tenderness for Harry grew in her heart.

* * *

"I'm perfectly fine!" Bella nearly shouted at her godfather a while later as Severus demanded to give her a thorough check up. "I ate the chocolate and I feel great!" Of course this was a blatant lie, punctuated by the fact that Bella swayed and her face was still paper white.

"Chocolate?" Severus questioned as he reluctantly led his godchildren up from his dungeon to the feast.

"Professor Lupin gave us some on the train." Draco informed them. Severus froze for a second but then continued walking. The Malfoy heirs shared a look then stared at Severus.

"Did he now." Severus said, black eyes filled with animosity.

"Yep. Just like..." Bella trailed off and stared at Draco who nodded solemnly.

"Just like Mother did after Father's trial." Draco said and Severus paused fully. He turned to find two identical sets of silver eyes, both filled with sadness and anger. Severus swallowed back whatever he'd been about to say about Lucius Malfoy and instead pulled his godchildren into a warm embrace. They clung to him for a moment before they pulled back. Severus stared into their silver eyes and wondered what the dementors had caused them to relive.

They were silent as they entered the Great Hall in the middle of the Sorting. Severus waited for Draco and Bella to settle down at the table before silently gliding to his seat.

As the Sorting ended and Dumbledore began his speech, Bella had to roll her eyes skyward. Did she and her friends ever catch a break? Was Fate or Karma out to get them for something? _What a way to start the new year. _

* * *

Lucius was a crafty man. No one could deny that. He was so crafty that he'd come up with a perfect plan.

He'd gotten a few potions from an old contact and Reginald had gotten everything worked out on the legal side of things.

So here he sat, at the Slytherin table, disguised as a brunette transfer student from the States. His eyes were a shade darker than the Malfoy trademark silver. He had decided to enter the year his son and daughter were in, and with the many contacts he still had, it was a cinch.

His grey eyes widened slightly when he saw Severus enter with Bella and Draco.

Lucius had not been prepared for his first look at them. Draco was starting to lose those boyish features, slowly but surely they would go. And Bella. She looked like Mireya for a moment until she turned her head and Lucius caught a full look at her features. She was undeniably Malfoy. She too was losing the vestiges of childhood and Lucius knew she would be a lovely young woman someday.

Both Malfoy heirs took seats not far from Lucius's and he had a clear view of his children.

Once the feast started Lucius was surprised when a boy appeared behind Bella.

"Potter, what the bloody helll?" Draco demanded as Harry sat down beside Bella.

"How are you feeling Bell?" Harry asked ignoring Draco completly.

"Better." Bella said and took a deep breath. "Being home is helping."

"I can't believe Hagrid's a teacher now." Harry said and Lucius took that time to examine the Potter heir. Striking emerald eyes and sun-kissed skin. A shock of unruly dark hair making those eyes stand out. Fringe hid the famous scar and the boy had the look of one who was neglected often.

"It'll be fun for sure." Bella replied.

"Potter, go back to your lions, or so help me I'll hex you." Draco growled. Harry just stared at him before rolling his eyes.

"Learn a new tune Malfoy." Harry replied. "We've been over this. I'm going to be Bell's friend whether you like it or not."

Lucius chuckled as he watched the boys glare at each other while Bella primly dished them out dessert.

"You two better stop it or I'll have Snuffles bite you arses." Bella said as the boys continued to fume. A big black dog suddenly appeared and barked loudly, creating a lot of attention for the students. After all they were used to cats, owls, and on occsion toads. But dogs weren't usually seen with wizards.

"Snuff wouldn't bite my arse." Draco replied as he reached over to pet the mutt.

Lucius watched in fascinated fatherly longing as his children interacted with their friends and each other. He was surprised his daughter was friends with a Gryffindor, with the Boy-Who-Lived. But unlike many others who would be starry eyed and giggling like idiots, his daughter just seemed to see the Golden Boy as another person.

And Lucius grew more determined than ever to regain everything he'd lost. His children were the most important thing he'd ever had in his life. He would get them back.

Severus came over a few minutes after that, interrupting an argument between Harry and Draco about Bella staying in Gryffindor tower.

"Draco, I need you to show our new student to the dorms." Severus said and Lucius looked to Severus now as the man came to stand in front of him. Draco was with him along with Bella and Harry. "Good evening Mr. Regalis, I am your head of house. My name is Severus Snape and I also teach Potions. These are my godchildren, Draco and Bella Malfoy." Severus turned to the two teens. "This is our transfer student from America, Mister Liam Regalis."

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Regalis." Bella said, smiling brightly but her eyes held a cautionary light. "It's nice to have a new Slytherin around." Draco eyed Lucius up and down then his lip curled a little into a sneer worthy of any Malfoy.

"Draco and Bella will be available if you are in need of anything. You will be sharing a dorm with Draco and the rest of your year mates." Severus said. Lucius nodded to show he'd heard. "Then I bid you good evening. Draco. Bella." The two looked up at Severus and nodded, Bella smiling. Lucius felt a pang of jealousy as he watched the man walk away.

"Fine Potter," Draco was saying now. "Bella can stay in the tower."

Harry gave him a look, then his emerald eyes flickered to Liam and then to Bella. Liam cocked an eyebrow and Harry looked away from him.

"Not that we needed your permission anyway." Harry said and Bella sighed, shaking her head.

"I give up. I'm going to go talk to Hermione now. At least she makes sense." Bella turned to Liam with a kind smile. "If you need anything at all Mr. Regalis, I give you full permission to bother the heck out of my big brother."

"Hey." Draco cut in but Bella grinned.

"Thank you." Liam said and watched as a bushy haired girl and a redhead Weasley appeared.

"Hey Bella! C'mon! I haven't had a good game of chess all summer." Ron said.

"Ronald, Bella doesn't have to play chess with you." Hermione chided.

"Yes she does, she said she'd play me on the train but then...well..." Ron gave Bella a look and the Slytherin girl turned pink.

"Exactly. So of course I'll play." Bella said and she was led away.

"Damn Gryffindors." Draco said.

"They are Gryffindors?" Liam asked and Draco nodded. The blonde turned to the brunette then with a sneer on his face.

"Bloody Gryffindors."

"I was told that Gryffindor does not like Slytherin." Liam said carefully. Draco nodded once again.

"That's true but my sister has a way of breaking old traditions." Draco said and a tenderness crossed his face. He motioned for Liam to follow and Draco led the man down into the dungeons, pointing out the path. Draco spent a good while showing him everything he felt was of note in the dungeons, such as the Potions classroom, and all the quickest routes to their house. Liam was able to pretend everything was new to him, thanks to the many years it had been since he'd gone to school here.

"That's all that's important." Draco said finally as they settled into their beds. "Any questions?"

"Just one." Liam looked up at Draco, puzzled. "If it is not normal for Gryffindors and Slytherins to get along, then how does your sister manage it?" Again tenderness stole over Draco's features.

"Because she's Bella." Draco said softly, pulling on his pajamas. "She met Granger, the bushy-haired one, in Diagon Alley and didn't even care that she's a Mudblood. Potter and Weasley, they started being her friend after Bella helped save Granger's arse and proved she wasn't just another slimy snake. Weasley lapses sometimes but Bella's really forgiving." Draco sat on his bed and looked at Liam.

"Bella's special." He said and a hard glint entered his silver gaze. "I have always had a complex when it comes to my sister. But I'm not the only one. You know that boy with the glasses?" Liam nodded. "His name is Harry Potter." Liam widened his eyes and Draco smirked. "I see Scarhead's reputation is big in America too. Well here everyone makes a big deal over him and spoils him rotten. But," Draco smirked more now, "if there's one thing I can admire about Pothead is that he takes care of his friends. He and Bella have been through a lot together and are very close. I'm sure if someone-" again Draco looked at Liam, "-were to cause her trouble or pain Potter would be happy to return it, two-fold."

Liam gulped and nodded, his dark grey eyes properly wide in Draco's opinion.

"Good to be on the same page. Now, is there anything else?"

Liam came up with a few questions to ask, and he inwardly smiled at how well his son answered them while maintaining the trademark aloof Malfoy manner.

As Lucius lay down in the bed he'd been assigned, he smiled. Even if he had been absent for most of their lives, his children seemed to have inherited more Malfoy than anyone cared to notice.

It might actually be easy to let them know the truth. He was looking forward to that.

* * *

Hermione gasped as she caught the headline on a Daily Prophet an older year had left on the common room table. Snatching it up she began reading through the article then worried her lip as she stared at the picture on the front.

"Mione?" Bella called then, happily walking by Harry as he and Ron made their way sleepily down the stairs. "Oh the paper. Anything good?" Bella asked, trying to read the page that held Hermione's attention.

"Oh! Uh, no not really." Hermione said, stuffing the paper into her schoolbag. Bella gave her a look but then smiled and began chattering about their classes and how much fun Hagrid's class was sure to be. As they settled down to breakfast, Bella began poking fun at Ron for choosing Divination. Ron was keeping her plenty occupied so Hermione nudged Harry. Once she had his attention she slipped him the paper.

Harry's eyes widened as he read the headline: **_Lucius Malfoy Vanishes from Azkaban!_ **Most of the front page was covered by a large photo of Lord Lucius Malfoy. Harry read the article that recapped why Malfoy had been locked up in the first place then stated Malfoy's cell was found empty by the Dementors and guards of Azkaban on August 30th. The article didn't have much, but it was enough.

Harry looked up from the paper and searched for Draco with his eyes. Draco was sitting at the Slytherin table, looking as if he'd encountered ten Dementors. Draco's eyes met Harry's and Harry held up his paper, then inclined his head towards Bella who was laughing as Ron choked on some toast. Draco shook his head and got up from the table, eyes fixed on his little sister. Harry looked around then and found a lot of the school were shooting looks between Draco and Bella.

"You ought to be taking Arithmancy like the rest of us smart people." Bella was saying now and Ron wrinkled his nose at her.

"Well excuse me for wanting something that sounded easy." Ron retorted. "And besides, Harry's taking it with me." Ron looked up at Harry for support but not a sound left his mouth as he caught the looks on Harry and Hermione's face. "What's up mate?" Ron asked, drawing Bella's attention to their silent, worried looking friends.

"Hermione? Harry?" Bella asked now, getting up from her seat and leaning across the table to check Harry and Hermione's foreheads. "What's wrong, you look ashy." Bella asked, her forehead lined with worry now.

"Bella." Draco had finally reached them. Bella turned to greet him but the words died on her lips as she caught his expression. "_Ven conmigo hermanita."_ Draco said, holding out his hand to her. Bella took his hand and let him help her stand.

"What's going on?" Bella asked looking from her brother to her friends. Draco took a deep breath as he led Bella away from the Gryffindor table. Harry fidgetted for a moment before getting up and following the Malfoys.

Out in the entrance hall, in a corner, Draco turned to his sister and handed her the copy of the Prophet he'd had in his grasp.

Bella read the headline and turned white. She clutched at the paper as she read the story then dropped the paper as if it burned her.

"No..." She whispered, silver eyes round and face pale as a sheet. "He's out _here!_?" Bella asked. Draco nodded and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Don't worry though. Hogwarts is safe. He can't get to us here. You know Severus and Dumbledore and Mother and Tia Reya won't let him get to us. Don't worry, shh." Draco said, as much to calm himself as his shocked sister.

Bella shook and twitched in her brother's grasp, wanting to run but afraid to move. Then she let out a chocked sob and hid her face in his chest.

Draco held her tight, gulping and shutting his eyes. He was older now, stronger and actually had a wand. He'd protect his sister, and he wouldn't let their insane father anywhere near her.

"Bell?" Harry said softly and Bella jumped, wiping at her face before turning to Harry. Harry wiped a stray tear from her cheek then, after a quick look at Draco, held out his fist. Draco was puzzled but Bella gasped as she saw the air shimmer under his fist. "If you need to use it Bell..." Harry blinked as he was suddenly caught up in the tightest Bella hug he'd ever gotten.

"Thank you Harry." Bella said, pulling back and shaking her head. "But...I can't take your cloak."

Harry blinked once more then smiled and reached up to ruffle her hair. "But I want to help and I don't know how to."

Bella's lips trembled but she managed to smile a little. "Just...just..." Bella bit her lip then turned back to Draco. "Can you both just...stay with me a little while?" She asked. Draco nodded and Harry took her hand in his own. Without a word the boys took Bella to one of the towers, where they spent the entire morning. Bella cried and paced and cried some more, so that by lunchtime her eyes were red-rimmed. But she was smiling a little by that time.

"Bella?" Crabbe asked as Bella joined her house for lunch. "You all right?"

Bella looked at him, then at Goyle who sat to his right and Blaise who sat to his left. She let her lips lift into a smirk that would make a shark shudder.

"I'll be just fine." She told them. "I'm not seven years old anymore. My Father can't hurt me in Hogwarts. And...if I should run into him someday..." Bella's shark smirk widened and the Slytherins around her smirked as well.

Severus came up then and noted Bella's expression. He put a hand on her shoulder and one on Draco's. The two Malfoys looked up and Bella smiled more naturally now.

"Your mothers will be coming to see you at dinner. During which time Dumbledore will be joining you to discuss precautionary measures." The children nodded and Bella leaned over to wrap her arms around his waist.

"Thank you Papa Sev." She murmured. Severus kissed the top of her head and squeezed Draco's shoulder.

"If you need to, my apartments are always open to you. You know that." Severus said. Bella and Draco nodded and Severus went up to the head table.

"They are strong." Dumbledore stated as he watched Draco and Bella.

"They are Slytherins." Severus replied, smiling gently as he watched the color returning to his surrogate children's faces. "They also have nothing to fear. Draco and Bella will never have to face Lucius for as long as I live." Severus ignored the awed looks from his colleagues. If they were still surprised by Severus's devotion to the children, then they were idiots.

He hadn't expected Lucius to ever get out of Azkaban while the children were still young. But it was good to see that they had held together so well. He was very proud of them.

* * *

Harry smiled as Bella walked over to their table the next morning, looking a little tired but like her usual self.

"Morning Bell." He said to get Hermione and Ron's attention.

"Morning Harry." Bella sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Sleep all right?" Harry asked as he placed a muffin in front of her. Snuffles appeared then and snatched the muffin. "Hey! That was for Bell!"

Bella laughed and smiled up at Harry who grinned back.

"Ah well, let Snuffs have a snack. He stayed with me all night." Bella said, reaching down to pet her dog.

Harry smiled more then his face grew serious. "If you need anything at all Bell, I'm here."

Bella felt that warmth and tenderness fill her up again and nodded, feeling tears prick at her eyes. Then she turned to Ron and began poking at him for believing the tea leaves. Ron turned red and asked how she'd heard about that. Bella laughed and the teens settled down for another day of magical learning. Harry had to wonder though, if Bella was as all right as she seemed. And...he'd have to keep her from trying to leave the castle now too.

_Why couldn't one year just be easy?_ Harry whined to the ceiling. Then he looked back down and found Bella staring at him. He took in her tired but still brilliant silver eyes and smiled. _Oh well, I have Bell and Ron and Hermione. It'll work out. We'll help each other out. _Harry was certain of that as he smiled and watched Bella smile in return. Yes. Together. That's how it had been for the past two years. That's how it'd stay.

* * *

**_And that's chappy 15 end. Yay! How'd ya like this one eh? ^^. Thanks as always for reading and keeping up with my tale. I give you all christmas cookies shaped like Snuffles! Till next time! _**


	16. Changes

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) _**

**_I no owny HP. HP belongs to Ms. Rowling. I am just a happy fanfic-authoress with a vivid imagination. ^^_**

**_--------------_**

**_Part Three_**

**_--------------_**

**_Chapter Sixteen: Changes_**

**_-------------_**

He could remember it so well. He'd knelt, proud to be distinguished as special by the Dark Lord. He'd heard the words spoken, and dread began to fill his gut. It had clenched when several of his fellows had come forward to hold him in place. And then that high, cold voice had spoken Parseltongue and Lucius had screamed, feeling himself being ripped apart in ten different directions. It had been too much. He'd passed out...

When he'd awoken he'd noted life seemed misted. As if he were looking through a glazed window, or trying to peer beyond a thin film in his eyes. He'd hear himself do things and say things he did not mean. He'd feel anger and rage.

Because his body was no longer his own. It had been taken over by something. Something powerful and disgustingly dark.

And then he'd realized what it was that had controlled him.

But by then he'd been taken to Azkaban. The only good thing was that whatever had possessed him all those years had left upon his admittance into the wizard prison.

He'd spent six years of his life there. That was no great loss. What he had truly lost was what had nearly torn his heart apart.

Lucius was no fool, nor was he the kind to ignore the truth. He would not make excuses that he would have been the best of father's if not for the possession. However, he knew he would have been a good father. He would have raised two strong, proud Malfoy heirs and their family would have been complete.

That's what he'd wanted to do, those six years ago, when he'd taken his children from their mothers. He'd wanted to try that. To have the chance to be a father. But that thing inside him had twisted his intentions and caused his imprisonment and the hatred of his own flesh and blood.

So it was that he was here now. Six long years had passed and he now sat here, under the disguise of a thirteen year old wizard from America. That's why he sat here, disguised eyes on his daughter, who sat there looking like a little ice princess.

And that was why he smiled, even if he'd missed so many years. He had found his course at last. He would need to convince Bella. To explain everything he had come to know and everything he wished for her to know. He'd need to do that before anything else. Or else, he might as well disappear into the shadows forever.

He didn't want that though. He wouldn't stand for that. Either he regained his children or lost everything.

"Liam?" Bella asked now, turning to look at the new student with a warm smile. "Are you all right?"

"Hmm? Yes, perfectly fine." Liam said with a small smirk. "Why do you ask?"

Bella looked at him, then smiled again. "You looked a little sad." She murmured softly. Liam's eyes widened then he smiled and shook his head.

"I was a tad melancholy. But don't worry, it's nothing important."

"Are you sure?" Bella cocked an eyebrow and Lucius grinned inwardly at the very Malfoy expression. "Well, if you ever need to talk..." Liam nodded and watched with some amusement as once again, Harry Potter appeared. He had been watching his children very closely this past week, and had begun finding humor in what Draco called, "the idiot's blindness". He had to agree with his son though. Harry Potter was as oblivious as they came. And although she was a brilliant study in nearly evry other aspect of her life, Bella was just as blind as Potter.

"Hey Bell." Harry said, reaching over to touch the streaks of white that adorned Bella's dark hair today. "What's with the white?"

"Morning Harry. I just wanted to try something new." Bella replied.

"You look like a skunk." Ron said as he too popped up. Now there was one person Lucius wished he could push away from Bella. Potter was all good and well, even the Mudblood Granger wasn't as much of an eyesore, though she did tend to think she had the answers to everything. But Weasley was the worst offender.

"Gee thanks Ronald." Bella replied, rolling her eyes.

"She looks all right." Harry defended the girl and Bella giggled as Ron snorted.

"I'm just telling you how it looks to me." Ron said with a grumble.

"Ugh, now Weasley's popping up here?" Draco groaned as he settled into the seat next to Lucius and reached over to smack Ron's hand, which had been about to touch one of the white streaks. "Hands to yourself Weasel."

"Listen Malfoy--" Ron began but Bella smacked Draco's hand and Ron seemed to take this as enough punishment.

"Draco, don't be rude." Bella said, even as she smiled at her older brother. Draco muttered under his breath but Lucius knew it was just for show. Ron seemed to puff up a little at the show. "So what's up for today you two? And where's Hermione?"

"Mione's still eating breakfast." Ron said dismissively. "Listen, I got something to ask you." He said, crossing his arms and frowning. Harry sighed and shook his head. Bella looked from Harry to Ron then cocked her head.

"What's up?"

"I heard something the other day." Ron said and his eyes narrowed. "Something about you and Ginny."

Draco snorted softly and rolled his eyes. Ron looked at him then glared back at Bella who was sitting up tall and proud, eyes closed at the moment. "Gi-someone says you took Ginny's barrettes and tossed them into the lake."

Lucius looked up at Weasley then over at Potter who was glaring at his redhead friend right now. Bella took a soft, deep breath, before rising from her seat and letting her eyes open. They flashed and glinted with anger and hurt, making Lucius wish he could hex Weasley into a slug.

"I haven't been in Gryfindor tower since the beginning of term Ronald." Bella whispered savagely. "And if you'd bothered to ask around, you'd find I haven't been outside the castle at all since we got here. Severus hasn't let me. And even if I had been in Gryffindor Tower and outside, why in Merlin's name would I steal from Ginevra and then make a show of it by tossing those barrettes into the lake!?" Bella ended with a shout that had half the hall listening in. Ron was beet red and had taken several steps back so that he was against the wall of the Great Hall.

Harry walked forward and touched Bella's arm lightly. Her head spun and Harry gave her a little smile. "I knew you didn't have anything to do with it." He whispered softly. Bella took two deep breaths before grrmacing and whipping around to grab her bag from the table.

"C'mon you two" Bella said to Draco and Liam. "We're going to be late for class." She began walking then paused. "Snuff!" She said as she turned to find her big bear of a dog baring his teeth at Ron. "Snuffles, leave him alone." Snuffles bared his teeth a second longer then snuffled and hurried after the three Slytherins.

"Bell!" Harry called as he hurried after the girl and caught up with them on the stairs.

"Honestly Potter, can't you keep a leash on your friend's stupidity?" Draco snapped and Harry for once didn't argue back.

"I tried." He said, looking at Draco with a hard glint in his emerald eyes. "I told him Bell wouldn't do something like that." Harry turned to Bella then, who was standing with her head bowed. "Honestly Bell. I did. Even Hermione didn't argue with him as much as I did."

"I believe you." Bella said softly, looking up at Harry. "I'm just trying to understand why Ginny would say such a thing about me. It was her, wasn't it?" Bella asked and Harry nodded helplessly. "She's never liked me."

"That's because--"

"--Our dear little sister--"

"--Can be such a prat sometimes."

The four teens looked up to find Fred and George standing on the landing, wearing twin frowns.

"Morning Fred, George." Bella greeted cheerfully. Fred and George shared a look before hopping down the stairs and each putting an arm around Bella's shoulder.

"Oi, get off Bella!" Draco demanded but the twins just gave him a questioning glance before returning to look down at Bella. Harry had to smile. The twins had seemed to get along well with Bella during her summer stay in the Burrow last year and during their stay in the Leaky Cauldron this summer. He'd even spotted the twins twice in the week since term began speaking to Bella more often when they met up.

"Sorry about Gin." George said.

"Yeah, she's a bit of a nuisance." Fred said.

"A bit?" Draco huffed. The twins grinned.

"Besides, we found those barrettes just a while ago. They had been stuffed under one of the couch cushions in the common room." George continued on.

"Really?" Harry asked and the twins nodded as they stopped outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

"Yep, now, we'll just be going to beat some sense into our younger siblings." The twins said and skipped off, wearing twin grins. Bella giggled at the dumbfounded looks on Liam and Draco's faces. Harry just chuckled.

"I like the twins. They're all right blokes, really." Bella said then making Harry laugh. She sighed heavily however as she stepped into the classroom with her brother and friends in tow.

Snuffles paued then and snuffled, causing Bella to turn and look at him. He sniffed the air twice then snuffled again.

"Something bothering you Snuff?" Bella asked as she pet the dog. He snuffled twice more then curled up by her seat with a very stubborn bark. Bella couldn't help but laugh.

"Why would Weasley's sister accuse you though Bella?" Liam asked, his eyes narrowed with dislike. Harry stared at Liam with his own frown of dislike. He just got these weird vibes from this tranfer kid.

"Because she's jealous." Draco said before Bella could attempt to lie. "She thinks she's better than Bella, that Bella's a snob." Draco huffed and sent a look at Harry who was staring at the other wall. "And don't you try denying it Potter."

Harry started then grimaced. "I wasn't going to. Why would I? I knew Bell before I knew Ginny and I know Bell's not a bad girl." Bella's face lit up as Harry looked at her with a serious look. "And if I ever have to pick sides, I'm going to pick Bell's."

Bella looked ready to cry but shook her head to hide the few that escaped.

"But, Bella's a Slytherin." Liam said. Harry scoffed and rolled his eyes as he pierced the new kid with a look much too old for a child of thirteen.

"Bell's been at my side when even Ron and Hermione haven't." Harry said evenly, though a hard note had colored his tone. "There are just some things you can't ever forget, and I know I'll never forget every thing Bell's done for me."

Bella would have said something then but the students began piling in and she quickly made herself appear cool and calm, a proper little Slytherin princess.

Remus Lupin walked in to find his students chattering and sitting calmly in their seats. He paused however, when he spotted the dog walking on its hind legs and entertaining the child. He couldn't be seeing it...it had to be a mirage...

"Snuffles!" Bella chided when she spotted Lupin. "Down boy, Professor Lupin's here!" The dog dropped to his front paws and looked at Bella. Lupin walked forward and felt something clamping down on his gut as the dog turned to him and revealed grey eyes.

"Is this your dog Miss Malfoy?" Lupin asked, staring steadily at the dog who stared back with his tongue hanging out. Just like...He used to...

"Yes! Is it okay if he stays or should I put him out?" Bella asked, throwing her arms around the dog. Remus smiled even if his gut wouldn't stop clenching.

"If he is well trained he may remain." Remus said and Bella nodded enthusiastically. "Well then, if you'd all collect your things and follow me. We'll be having a practical lesson today and you'll only be needing your wands.

The third years stared in surprise before hurrying to do as Remus said. They got everything packed away and began following Remus.

Remus couldn't help sneak peeks at the dog walking beside Bella. It just looked so much like... But it couldn't be... It was impossible.... Even _He_ wasn't _that_ stupid...

"I know." Bella said suddenly, looking up at her professor. "It's weird. I never figured myself for a dog person either. But he's grown on me." Bella smiled as she pet Snuffle's snout. "We're a little alike, Snuff and me." She added, looking down at the dog affectionately. Remus stared from girl to dog then smiled a little.

Remus took them to the staff lounge where Severus sat. He took one look at the classroom then stood up. "Leave it open Lupin, I'd rather not witness this."

"Severus." Bella chided and Severus paused to pat her head.

"Be warned Lupin," Severus said as he turned his dark eyes onto Remus. "If anything happens to either of my godchildren--"

"Severus!" Bella said, tugging on the Potion Master's sleeve and then pushing him to the door. "Knock it off! I'm thirteen for Merlin's sake. I'm not gonna break by doing a practical lesson."

"Keep an eye on your sister Draco." Severus said and Draco nodded. Bella gave a final push and Severus left the room, chuckling under his breath.

Bella turned around and found people grinning at the humorous situation. Ron however and a few of the Gryffindor boys were snickering unpleasantly. Bella sighed. Months of work and...now somehow they'd come to square one again. How was it that Ron was hating her guts again? What did Ginny do over the summer? Subliminally feed Ron 'Hate Bella' waves all summer long?

Okay she was being a dork. It was the only explanation though!

"...Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces." Remus was saying now, and so Bella snapped out of her thoughts. "Wardrobes, the gaps under beds, the cupboards under sinks--this one moved in yesterday and I asked Professor Dumbledore if the staff would let it remain so that we could have it in this class."

"So first we must ask ourselves, what is a boggart?"

Bella raised her hand at the same moment as Hermione. Remus motioned to Hermione. "It's a shape-shifter." Hermione said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us the most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself." Remus said and Hermione beamed. "The boggart in the darkness has not yet assumed a form. It will not know what shape it must asume in order to frighten us. Now, that gives us a huge advantage," Remus turned to Harry. "Have you spotted it Harry?"

"Er...because there are so many of us, it won't know what to turn into?" Harry said and although Hermione looked a little disappointed at not having got to answer, Bella gave him a grin.

"Precisely." Remus said, and then proceeded to rope Neville into the demonstration and taught them the spell. Bella and the others got in line. Bella thought hard for a few seconds about what scared her the most.

If anyone had asked her that question a month ago, she could have answered with losing Draco or her father breaking out of prison.

But since she knew the first was never likely to happen and the second had happened even though it shouldn't have...

And then, she'd never experienced the effects of a Dementor before.

Shuddering, Bella wondered what could make a Dementor less scary. But she couldn't think of anything except the things that had flitted through her mind.

The shrieks of owls--

The rustle of the trees--

Things growling in the bushes--

A yellow moon that seemed to follow you wherever you went--

Shadows so deep and dark they seemed capable of swallowing you whole--

A rotting hand, a coldness, a rattling breath--

"Everyone ready?" Lupin asked and Bella pulled herself together. There was Neville first, and then at least ten people in front of her. She could think of something...couldn't she?

As the line moved forward she tried to think of a laughable shape for a Dementor.

Make it turn pink?

_Don't worry Bella, it's just wind--_

Make it sprout bunny ears and a tail--

_Creeping shadows, seemingly swallowing up everything--_

Make it turn into a puddle of neon-green goop?

_When is Mami coming Draco? _

_I don't know...she might not ever come..._

"Next!" Lupin called and in their excitment the students pushed Bella forward.

_What if she never comes? _

_Then I'll take care of you._

_What if Father finds us?_

_I'll protect you._

The boggart that had been a giant spider turned to Bella who was staring unseeingly at it. It shifted shape.

And now everyone was screaming as a tall, slightly distorted Dementor materialized. It stood there, with hands that lifted and stretched towards her. Bella raised her wand, and the spell was on her lips--

_What is that?_

_I'll go see..._

_Draco!? Draco!?_

_And she was alone. All alone. In the middle of nowhere, in the darkness. Darkness that choked. That swallowed her up. That smothered her. And she couldn't breathe--!_

"Bella!" Draco shouted as he shook his sister. The moment Bella's Dementor appeared, the girl's eyes had rolled into the back of her head and she'd shivered before falling bonelessly onto the floor. Lupin had stepped forward to finish it off and was now trying to take Bella from Draco's arms. "Bella!" Draco shouted again. Bella was paler than ever, and her eyes were fluttering.

"Mr. Malfoy please--"

"...Draco..." Bella breathed and Draco looked down at Bella to find she was still very much out of it. "...It's...dark...and....where'd you...there's things...in the trees..."

Draco realized what it was that Bella was seeing then and pulled her as close to him as he could.

"Bella..." Draco said softly, looking much more like a little boy than he'd ever had in anyone's living memory. "It's all right. It's just the wind. I'm here." He bowed his head as he held his sister closer. "I'll make sure no one hurts you."

Bella tensed for a moment then went lax and her head rolled to the side. Draco looked up at Lupin who nodded and took Bella from him gently. He dismissed everyone for the day then hurried away to the hospital wing.

* * *

"When we were lost in the woods..." Draco said softly into the silence that had filled the hospital wing for hours now. Harry, Hermione, Liam, Severus and Mireya were there. Mireya lay next to Bella, who was sleeping soundly under the effects of Dreamless Sleep. Harry had shown up first, looking down at Bella then at Draco who was just staring off into the distance through one of the windows. This was the first time he'd spoken ever since their lesson.

Now he felt he had to explain, at least just a little. But one look at Bella's face and Draco's words failed him. No. How could he explain to these people, to their friends and family, what it was like? How could he put those two weeks in the wilderness into words? How could he explain to them all, what it had felt like?

He couldn't think of the words to explain his terror. His fear that their crazed father would find him. His worry that Bella would die while he slept. His anxiety at every twig snapping and every breeze rustling the trees.

He couldn't fathom how to paint the picture of Bella's terrified screams in the middle of the night as she woke from another nightmare of him dying. And how could he make these people understand his greatest fear--that he'd die and leave Bella all alone, lost forever.

No doubt Severus and Mireya would act all sympathetic. They'd coddle him and tell him he'd been brave and they were proud--the same things they'd said all those years ago when they'd finally stumbled across that lonely farmhouse.

Granger would never understand, for all that she would act like she did. Bloody Mudblood had never suffered like that.

Liam was too new, and so Draco absolutely refused to reveal his weaknesses in front of him, especially because he was in their house.

Potter...Draco always said Potter led the most charmed life a little Saviour could, but if any of these people could understand even a little bit, it would have to be Potter. Potter, who Draco had found out from Bella and asking the right people, lived with magic-hating, abusive and neglectful Muggles during the summers.

"Draco?" Mireya asked now. Draco refused to look up at her. He knew if he did, she'd be shocked by the anger in his eyes. He knew he shouldn't be angry at any of his family members. Severus. Mireya. Narcissa. They'd been helpless and worked tirelessly all those weeks to rescue them. When they were returned, they'd made sure Lucius suffered the full weight of the law and then coddled them with so much love... But the anger, that old fickle thing, was filling his gut and he wished, for just one moment, that he'd never told those farmers who they were. That they'd been adopted and never returned to England.

Because when the old anger filled him, Draco felt he was the only person capable of taking care of Bella and keeping him and his little sister safe.

And he resented having to answer to his mother, his aunt, his godfather for everything. In the woods, in those shadowy places, it had been him and Bella against all the odds. He'd done a damn good job too. Bella would listen to him. He'd managed to provide food and shelter for her. He'd managed to heal her wounds with his young magic. And Bella too. She'd healed him when he needed it. She'd fought off a bear once and never flinched until the damn thing had run off.

Everything had been fine, or so Draco had thought, until today. Until he realized that although they'd spoken of it, they'd never really gotten a chance to free themselves from the nightmares that forest gave them. He and Bella had not spoken of their torments in great detail or in any sort of detail really. It was repressed, deep inside them, because Mireya had said it caused her pain and Narcissa had simply refused to hear it.

Severus had been the only one to listen but by the time he'd promised to hear them out, the Malfoy siblings had already fallen into silence.

Why it came back now, all of a sudden, Draco couldn't say. He just knew it wouldn't be going away any time soon. It would fester and grow and cause him to hate everyone and everything except his little sister. So he simply allowed habits to come back to him.

Lifting his mercury eyes, Draco just shook his head and hid the anger away with a mask of quiet sadness.

And to add fuel to the anger in his gut, Mireya just nodded, smiled sadly, and went back to toying with Bella's hair.

If Draco had paid any attention though, he would have noted Liam's eyes never left his face throughout the entire time.

* * *

Bella was released from the hospital wing the following day with a clean bill of health and a warning to stay far from the Dementors. Draco was there, along with her mother, Severus, and Narcissa.

The second she greeted Draco, she knew something had happened. However, after all they'd been through together and all these years in general, Bella knew it was best to act as if she noticed nothing.

Sure enough, once she'd convinced her mother and aunt she was perfectly fine in school--"Really Mama! It was just a boggart and I got careless! It won't happen again, I promise!--and after assuring Severus Professor Lupin wasn't to blame--"It's not like he knew I was so scared of Dementors! Blimey, I didn't even know!"--she was led back into the underground common room of their house.

In the little room she'd claimed as her own, she found Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle waiting for her, along with Snuffles, Calixto, and a table full of snacks that Dobby had no doubt brought up.

"You're all right now, right Bella?" Goyle asked, eyeing her worriedly. Bella was a good friend, he and Crabbe both agreed on that.

"Course she's all right you knuckleheads." Draco replied, even as he helped Bella settled down in her favorite armchair. Bella snuggled into the familiar squashy depths while Draco perched on the armrest. Blaise smiled at the picture they made. A blonde devil and a dark-haired angel. In the old days, they would have been nobles of the highest class, perhaps Bella would already be betrothed to a prince or at least a duke.

"I'm fine. It was just that boggart-Dementor thing." Bella blushed as Calixto climbed snootily into Draco's lap and Snuffles rested his head on her knee. "I never realized how creeped out I was of Dementors. Oh well. I'll fight harder next time." She promised.

"We're just glad you're okay." Crabbe said and Bella smiled fondly at the boys as they snacked on the snacks. Blaise handed her a steaming cup of her favorite tea and nodded to Draco who inclined his head in thanks.

"We can't have the Slytherin Princess in any sort of trouble." Blaise said now, teasingly. "Where would our noble house be without you?"

"Under Draco's leadership." Bella replied taking a sip from her tea. "Which means you'd basically be hopelessly helpless." She added making the boys laugh.

"Hey!" Draco grumped, lightly tapping Bella's nose. "I resent that."

"You should." Bella replied and recieved another tap on the nose. "Silly brother." Reaching up to pat his arm Bella grew serious. "What happened Draco? You're not yourself today?"

Draco wondered what he should say, what lie would work, but one look into the silver gaze and he knew he couldn't lie to her. Bella was the only person in his entire world who'd never hurt him. If anything she'd been hurt because of him. Bella trusted him with her life and would forgive him every offense Draco could ever make. He knew that.

He knew that as much as he knew that Bella would be the only person to do that. Not even his own mother would forgive him certain things.

But Bella would.

That was the root of his big brother complex. He could see that now. Bella would always be there whereas sometimes he doubted his own mother would. Bella would never turn away from him. He could turn into a monster, like the old Dark Lord, and kill and pillage and rape and maim. And Bella would forgive him and protect him from all who would harm him.

It was a dizzying, slightly terrifying thought. He could get away with anything. Bella would let him. So long as he kept the promises he'd made.

To protect her, to never let her blood status affect his affection for her, to always be there for her in return.

Draco knew he would do all those things and more. Bella could wake up tomorrow and begin murdering people or practicing necromancy or say she wanted to be a Dark Lady. And Draco would let her. He'd even help her do it.

As he stared into her eyes, he knew she could see these thoughts forming. She might not be able to decipher yet what the thoughts were, but she could see revelations in his eyes.

"Draco?" Bella asked softly, reaching up to take her brother's hand in her own. "What is it?"

"I've realized some things Bella." He said slowly, eyes flickering to his friends. "I've realized I'm still angry at our parents for not protecting us better. I've realized they never let us talk about those weeks in the woods. I've realized you're the only person in the world who I can trust with everything I hold dear. And...I've realized...right now...how far I'm willing to go for my little sister." Draco put a hand on her head. "I'd do anything to keep you safe Bella. Anything to make you happy. I'd become a Dark Lord if that's what it took."

Draco saw Blaise's shocked expression, and Crabbe and Goyle had slack jaws hanging to the ground, but his attention was mainly focused on Bella who was nodding and looking at the window tinged green by the murky lake water.

"I'd do the same." Bella said, confirming Draco's thoughts. "I'd be a Dark Witch if I needed to be to help you do whatever you wished. So long as you never forget where I stand Draco." She looked at her brother with a smile. "Younger and a girl I might be, but I am your sister. Halfblood, illegitimate, and weaker, but still your sister."

"Right. Always my sister. And I'll always be your brother." Draco said and his words held something more that the Slytherin boys could not decipher. It was something only the Malfoys could understand. A promise so deep and true that no one but they could understand it's intensity.

"Draco? Bella?" Blaise asked. The Malfoys turned to him and for a shining moment, Blaise was sure he could see them as they would have been. Nobles with power and might, ruling lands many would think much too large for a pair of under-trained wizard children. But they'd pull it off and astound everyone.

Even when that silly vision faded Blaise could still feel it, that conviction that Bella and Draco would do things no one could imagine. Things no one would see coming. They'd be great and Blaise wanted to be there to see it happen.

"Yes Blaise?" Bella asked in her sweet tone, silver eyes flashing with affection and beneath that power.

"Whatever you two need, whenever you need it..." Blaise said, "Know that I'll always be willing to help."

"Same for us." Crabbe said.

"Of course." Goyle added, saluting them with a cupcake in hand.

Bella smiled while Draco grinned.

Oh yes. Something had changed. It would grow and dig deep roots and by years end it would have resulted in its first blossom.

Bella shut her eyes as she felt this dizzying conviction. Something would happen. Something important. Who knew what it would be?

* * *

Snuffles, aka Sirius Black, wandered down the hallways late that evening, his own thoughts still reeling from the rather intense conversation he'd overheard just an hour ago. To think there could be kids as serious as those two...it was little scary.

But this sudden burst of maturity from thriteen-year-olds made him ponder something that hadn't really been an issue in his mind. Until tonight. When he'd been put in a bizzarely pensive mood thanks to Bella and Draco's oddness.

He hadn't really paid it much mind.

It didn't seem anything too big.

They were all wizards after all.

But....he thought that when he'd first met Mireya, that the woman had dimples and a cute little mole on her right cheek.

And now she had only laugh lines and no mole at all.

_Azkaban has messed with my memories. _Sirius told himself as he decided to pass by the DADA classroom and see if he could check on Moony somehow. _That has to be it. Or she never had dimples and got rid of the mole. She was a Malfoy's mistress after all. They're supposed to be perfect in every way. It's nothing too important. _

_Nothing at all. _

* * *

**_Another chappy end! Hehe! Did I leave you all wondering new things? Huh huh? Did I? Hehe! Well you'll just have to wait and see won't you! Tune in next time! I give you character plushies wearing santa hats this time!_**


	17. The Little Seed of Doubt

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) _**

**_If I owned Harry Potter, I would be living in some nice place with mild weather and a few palm trees. But I no owny Harry Potter. The sadness is vast... ^^. _**

**_--------------_**

**_Part Three_**

**_--------------_**

**_Chapter Seventeen: The Little Seed of Doubt_**

**_-------------_**

Bella stared out at the landscape as she tried her best to ignore the little wriggle of panic in the back of her head. She'd had the most horrible nightmare last night. Green light and screams and she'd seen her mother laying on the ground before her, dead. It had shaken her so much that she'd risked running into Filch and come up to the Astronomy Tower. The cool autumn breeze washed over her and made everything much clearer than it had been down in the dungeons.

The question remained however, why would she have such a nightmare? Was it the result of the memories the Dementor had forced her to relive?

That seemed likely but then wouldn't she just dream of those nightmarish memories?

Maybe it was just that all-consuming fear. It had colored her mind and was now making her experience it in new ways.

Bella sighed as she took in a deep breath of the fresh air.

Whatever she told herself, she couldn't help but return back to that feeling like she was missing an important point.

What was it?

"...yes I see it too." Bella jumped at Filch's voice then paled as she realised he must have seen her candle burning. Damn! Quickly blowing it out she then cast a disillusionment charm on herself and scuttled into the deeper shadows. Filch threw open the door then, along with Mrs. Norris.

_Crap. _Bella thought as she saw the feline getting closer to her. _Shoo cat! Scat! _Mrs. Norris paused then and seemed to be pondering whether or not to take another step. Bella saw it and then relaxed. She had her special power after all. It could manifest itself as anything she wanted. She'd been playing with her power ever since she saw she could make the flowers grow simply by willing them to. So she focused on Mrs. Norris. _Turn around and tell Filch nothing's here. Turn around kitty. Turn around. _

Mrs. Norris meowed and turned around, looking up at Filch and meowing some more. Filch grumbled and then sighed, hanging his head.

"All right then. Come on." And the two left the room, closing the door behind them. Bella didn't dare breathe until she could no longer hear them. Then she relaxed and sagged against the wall. That had been too close...

Suddenly Bella gasped. She'd been almost caught this summer, eavesdropping on her mother and aunt.

What had they been talking about?

Bella thought hard and the conversation surfaced in her mind.

Narcissa had been talking about sending Bella to Beauxbatons. She had said no one would fault them for sending her to a different school after her experiences of the past two years.

Mireya had been against it. She'd said, "We can't send her so far away Cissa. What d'you think will happen when we aren't keeping an eye on her?"

Narcissa had let out a deep sigh and then replied with, "True. That girl is turning into a right little rebel. Well, since we can't send her away then we'll have to keep a closer eye on her. Can't have her dying on us, now can we?"

And at the time Bella had been filled with righteous teenage anger. How dare they discuss her future behind her back!? She had a say in where she went didn't she!? She'd had half a mind to storm into the sitting room and demand an explanation when the door had been thrown open. Shrinking in on herself, Bella had prayed to every god she could think off that her mother and aunt wouldn't see her and scold her for eavesdropping. They'd both just walked on by, still speaking about alternatives to sending her back to Hogwarts. Bella had sagged against the wall that time as well...

But now that she was thinking back on it, something was off. Something had been wrong about the way her mother and aunt had been discussing things.

It almost sounded like...they were being forced to do something unpleasant. Like...like...

Like Bella was a burden they needed to carry around out of duty.

Bella's eyes widened when she replayed the words in her head and picked out the way both women had spoken of her.

"No...no..." Bella said, shaking her head. "My nightmare's making me think crazy things." She laughed softly, if a little shakily, at herself. Getting up she brushed herself off and began making her way back down to the dungeons.

No...she couldn't have actually heard that conversation like that. It was a trick of the mind.

Because her mother and aunt loved her. They coddled and spoiled her. They took care of her when she was hurt in anyway.

They loved her.

Of course they did.

Of course.

* * *

Lucius Malfoy stared at his daughter, at his very own little princess, and wondered if he'd ever be able to tell her the truth. She deserved the truth of course...but would she even accept it? She'd been fed lies for so long...would she even believe him?

"Liam?" Bella asked, looking at her fellow Slytherin worriedly. They were in the greenhouse, working on the same plant which Lucius couldn't name at the moment. Draco was working with Blaise further up the table, and he and Bella was basically isolated from the rest of the Slytherins and Ravenclaws. "You've got that look on your face again." Bella said now, her silvery eyes boring into his own. "What's wrong?" She demanded and from the stubborn light in her eyes, she wasn't going to back down this time.

He had been expecting it actually. Mireya had been like that too. Stubborn and brilliant, capable of making him feel bare with a few soft-spoken words and a swift look.

Mireya...that's where he would have to start.

And maybe if he twisted a few facts, just for the moment, he could ease Bella into the truth.

"It's complicated." Lucius said and watched as Bella's stubborn look faded into one of concern. Where had she learned those looks? Surely she couldn't have gotten them from Mireya.

"How complicated?" Bella coaxed, clipping a withered limb from their plant so that it wouldn't be burdened by it any longer.

"Extremely." Lucius said and then lowered his voice, turning away from the others to avoid any snooping lip readers. "It's driving me half-insane I might add, trying to keep it all inside." He added in a tight voice. He put on a brave sort of smile and Bella frowned, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"My offer still stands Liam." She said as she reached over to put a hand on his. "I promise, I'll help however I can." She added with a big sunny smile. Lucius once again marveled. This was truly his little halfblood child? This little being who smiled brightly and yet could strike with deadly coldness if pressed? He wondered how she'd come out this way.

"Then...can we talk about it during dinner?" Lucius asked, keeping his voice hushed and tight. He cast a quick look at Draco who was looking at them curiously. "Alone?" He added and saw Bella give her brother a smile.

"Of course." Bella smiled at him once more. "We can meet in the Grotto."

Lucius blinked. "The Grotto?" Bella grinned.

"Just meet me outside the common room at dinnertime and you'll see." Bella replied mysterious as the bell sounded and they hurried to put everything away and rush back into the castle for lunch.

* * *

At seven o'clock Lucius stood outside the common room. He was getting anxious. How could he tell Bella something so devastating?

Bella appeared a little while afterward, dressed in Muggle clothing and true to her word she was alone, aside from that big mutt she called Snuffles.

"Ready Liam?" She asked and he nodded so she motioned for him to follow her. Liam did so, noticing they were headed deeper into the dungeons. She took him through the twisting labyrinth of the dungeons until they reached a dead end. Then she turned to him with a steely look in her eyes. "So far only Draco knows this password, and that's only because he begged for forever and wouldn't stop whining." Bella said sternly, eyes glittering for a brief moment at the mention of Draco. "I'm going on my good faith and giving it to you, okay?"

"Why?" Lucius had to ask. It boggled his mind sometimes, how trusting Bella was. She'd even forgiven the Weasley boy for his outburst earlier in the month.

"Because I have a feeling you're going to be needing the Grotto." Bella said simply. She turned to the blank stretch of wall and said, "Lucius." Lucius blinked and Bella caught the surprised look on his face as the wall began opening up before them.

"The password is your father's name?" Lucius asked, watching the stone form a rough looking archway. Bella nodded.

"People wouldn't expect me to be using it, see?" Bella asked with a wink. She then led the way through the archway.

There was a small, gently curving trail which led to a set of steps. The bottom steps were submerged in a few inches of water. They sloshed their way through the bit of water until they reached a little cave-like room. Lucius noted there were trinkets lining the walls and a throne-like chair along with an old couch and several more things he couldn't name. Muggle things he figured. There were also several treasure chests and when Lucius looked up he saw there was a large circle of enchated glass that revealed a look into the lake. As he watched one of the mermen shot across the glass in pursuit of something.

"Welcome to my Grotto." Bella said, reaching over to touch the little Ariel statuette Harry had given her. The mermaid began singing _Under the Sea _softly and Bella smiled as Lucius sat down on the surprisingly comfortable couch.

"It's amazing." Lucius said.

"It is, isn't it? I found it one day, just out of the blue. Severus doesn't even know about it. I think Hogwarts just knew I needed a secret place." Bella said touching the throne she sat upon, which seemed to be made from the same stone as the cave. "Now...we're here to discuss your problems. So start discussing."

Lucius stared at her for a long moment then nodded. "It's something to do with you actually." He said slowly, eyes boring into hers.

Bella stared at Lucius for a long moment then she cocked an eyebrow. "Something to do with me?" She repeated skeptically. Lucius nodded, eager now, to start giving his daughter the truth.

"You see, I'm not actually a third year transfer." Lucius said and he waved a hand over his face for emphasis. "I'm an...investigator. Sent by a friend of your father's."

Bella's eyes grew steely. "Sent by my father you mean." She said and her eyes flashed.

Lucius nodded. "Yes. Your father." He saw her growing anger and raised his hands to try and calm her. "Not everything is as you think Miss Malfoy."

Bella took a deep breath then narrowed her gaze. "Really? Well then, perhaps you care to enlighten me?"

Lucius smiled at her. She was angry, you'd have to be blind not to see it, but she was giving him the chance to speak. That was all the opening he needed.

"Your father isn't a bad man Miss Malfoy." Bella's eyebrow twitched so Lucius hurried on. "His actions were not his own."

"What...what do you mean?" Bella asked quietly, eyes wide. She had been suffering earlier in the summer, wanting to know more about her father, dreaming about him being in pain, and wondering...wondering why he would hurt them so much...

"I mean that Lucius Malfoy was put under a dark spell by the Dark Lord." Lucius said solemnly, looking his daughter straight in the eye. "One of powerful dark magic, that was so skillfully implemented it was nearly untraceable."

Bella let the words wash over her. Her mind tried to absorb them. She tried to make some sense out of what she was hearing.

No way. No. Her father had gone psychotic. Everyone said that. Everyone said he'd been lured in by the Dark and sunk too far into it. That his mind had snapped and he'd tried to hurt her and Draco.

She couldn't trust what this boy, this complete stranger, was saying. It had to be a cruel joke. Something he thought up of.

But...why would he think up such a horrible lie? What purpose would it serve?

She stood up from her throne and walked over to one of her walls, reaching up to touch a silver dagger that she'd found in their vault this time. It had had her name on it, and on the handle a single, beautifully cut diamond. She could guess who it was from. A gift from her father.

That was what had triggered the doubts. Because crazy people don't commission beautiful works like the dagger to protect their children. They just don't.

At least, that's what she _wanted_ to think.

"So you're saying...you're saying..." Bella turned to Liam and frowned, puzzled. "No. What you're saying is stupid. My father snapped, tried to Obliviate me, and then chased us through the streets until Draco and I somehow Apparated into the Romanian woods." Bella said, sounding like it was more of a well-learned lesson than a memory.

"That's what you've been led to believe. What everyone has been led to believe." Lucius said, using his guise of Liam to express the utter sadness he would have hidden from everyone else. Bella was affected by emotions. He had noted it while observing her.

"What...wait...have you...have you seen him?" Bella asked now, leaning towards Lucius as if that would help her hear better.

"Yes." Lucius said. "I see him quite often." Bella's face paled and she shook her head, putting a hand to her forehead.

"No...no..." She muttered to herself. "I'm not hearing this. I'm not."

"Would it be so horrible, Miss Malfoy, to find out your father was indeed innocent?" Lucius wondered and Bella began to nod then shook her head then fell to her knees so suddenly Lucius felt shock run through him.

"I don't know. There's a part of me that is jumping for joy and another that's shouting at every god I've ever heard of and still another that's just numb." Bella replied finally. "How...how can no one have seen it? How could they make me believe he's just evil? Why would they?"

"To give some credit, the only ones who did know, were either killed or tortured into insanity by the Dark Lord." Lucius said, bitterness creeping into his voice. "In fact, it took me quite a while to believe your father."

"Why did you?" Bella asked quietly. "What made you believe him and agree to come here for him?"

Lucius looked her right in the eye. "Because I could see the truth in his eyes. He wants justice. Not just for himself but for you and Draco. He believes you deserve the truth. Whether you chose to believe it or not is up to you."

Bella chewed her lip and then sat down upon her throne once more, a mask of calm overcoming her features.

"Then tell me what my father tolod you Mr. Regalis." Bella said softly, eyes flashing.

"I'll tell you what he has told me." Lucius told her, and then settled down to tell the beginning of the story.

----

It was about a week before he was set to go to Spain. Lucius was ready. He would do what was necessary to secure the allegiance of this Mireya Diaz Mudblood that his master was so bent on turning to their cause.

He had been summoned to meet with the Dark Lord beforehand. He went, wondering what his master had in store.

When he'd arrived he'd found a small group of wizards and witches as well as the Dark Lord waiting.

They'd spoken about the plan of attack again. Then the Dark Lord rose from his seat and come towards him.

"Now Lucius, in order to ensure you do not falter in this mission..." The Dark Lord's malicious smile had sent a tremor of fear up Lucius's spine but he did not dare show it. He was a Malfoy, Malfoy's don't show fear.

Maybe he should have though, considering the painful sensation he experienced then. Like someone was trying to squeeze him through a straw, or ripping him up from the inside. It was worse than any torture or torment imaginable.

And when it had finally ended, when he could open his eyes again, when he could move his limbs...

His world had frosted over and it was like trying to see through a frosted glass or a foggy evening. He couldn't seem to truly focus on anything.

The Dark Lord had spoken once more and to his shock the words had echoed in his head. A pounding, blinding headache had overcome him then.

When he opened his eyes again, he was staring at a pretty Spaniard witch who was looking more than a little upset with him....

----

Bella stared at the boy as he recalled her father's story. How could this be possible? How could her father be innocent? Everyone, absolutely everyone had ingrained it into her every nerve--that her father was an evil psycho.

And now here was someone telling her differently.

What did she believe?

"Do you have any proof?" Bella finally asked, her mask of calm slipping briefly. She looked scared and so small...

"Yes." Lucius said, and his eyes met Bella's once more. "Of course I do."

"Then show it to me." Bella demanded, and her demand was all Malfoy and nothing Lucius could think of would allow him to disobey.

Needless to say, he was very proud of his daughter. But even so, he dared not reveal himself to her yet. It could end up disasterously if he did. He'd have to play cautiously or lose this tenuous chance of changing her mind against the lies she'd been spoon fed for six years.

"For obviouos reasons I have hidden these proofs very well. But, if you are agreeable to it, then tomorrow we can meet here once more and I shall bring you something." Lucius felt like patting himself on the back when Bella looked pensively up at the circle of glass separating her world from the mermaids. Then she nodded.

"That will be enough time for me to talk to Draco." Bella said.

"Do you think that wise?" Lucius asked, a little worried now. "He is rather...." Lucius trailed off when Bella suddenly got a new look on her face.

"You're right." She said as that look of dawning comprehension grew brighter. "I can't tell Draco this...but maybe...I think he'll..." She hopped off her throne and made a small curtsy to Lucius. "I will meet you here tomorrow at lunchtime then. Bring good proof Mr. Regalis." She warned. Lucius took that as a dismissal and hurried away, feeling better than he had in a long time.

* * *

Bella entered the Gryffindor common room that same evening, pausing at the entrance to smile at her Gryffindor friends. Harry was lounging on a couch while Hermione argued with Ron about when to do their homework. _Mundane silly thing to argue about_, Bella thought, _when my whole world is on the verge of collapse_.

As soon as he saw her, Harry could tell something was wrong.

"Bell?" He said and Ron and Hermione ceased their bickering to turn and look at the Slytherin girl.

"Can I talk to you Harry? Alone please?" She added when Hermione made to move her things. Bella sent the girl an apologetic smile. Hermione looked from Harry to Bella then smiled in return. Bella felt grateful that her first real friend understood.

"Sure." Harry replied and got up from the couch. "Where do you want to talk?"

Bella chewed her lip then motioned for him to follow her. Harry waved to his friends then followed the younger Malfoy through the halls into a niche hidden behind a thick tapestry on the fifth floor. Harry waited for Bella to speak and in the meantime he looked at her.

Even when she looked worried she was very pretty. Hermione had been commenting about it earlier, about how even though Bella was a Slytherin, she had lots of fans in the others houses. Namely boys. Harry didn't like that though. He was very protective of his friends and Bella having 'fans' didn't sound good at all. He could see why she'd have fans though. She was truly a Malfoy. Very pretty, with those silvery eyes that could dissect you in a heartbeat, or make your day better, and the fair porcelain skin that made her look like a doll. Her hair which had only gotten longer since their first year, streaked with odd colors and yet styled just right for whatever she was doing. Like a princess really.

Harry blushed when Bella finally turned to look at him, her eyes neither dissecting or cheerful, simply very confused. He shook the thoughts away and gave her what he hoped was an encouraging look.

"You know Liam?" Bella asked. Harry nodded. "He....well..." Bella sighed. "You're going to think me stupid for even thinking this is real." She muttered.

"No I won't." Harry huffed, a little put out now. "If you believed me before, about crazier things than this, then I can very well believe you now." He told her, feeling a grin on his face in answer to the smile she gave him.

"Right..." Bella said to herself. "Well then...here goes." She took a deep breath and then told him absolutely everything Liam had told her. She waited in silence after that, her eyes wide with fear and doubt. "What do I do Harry?" She asked in a quiet voice.

Harry looked at her, about to say he didn't know. But then his eyes caught hers and the memories of everything she'd done for him over the last two years came into mind. Before he knew it he reached out and took her hand in his.

"It can't hurt to listen to him." Harry said slowly. "Maybe...maybe he's right. I mean, we both know how crazy Voldemort can be." Harry told her. She nodded, her eyes flickering to the spot where the basilisk had pierced Harry's arm just a few months ago. "He was worse than evil Bella. He took my parents from me, from lots of people, and his followers were just as crazy. Look what they're saying about Sirius Black." Bella nodded again. "So it really wouldn't be that weird if he did something to your dad, would it?"

"No." Bella whispered. "No it wouldn't be weird at all. It's just... No one ever bothered to check my father for any enchantments of any sort. Even if it was so perfectly hidden, there should have been traces of it still detectable. Especially if Voldemort did it. He's not exactly worried about subtlety now is he?" She asked, turning to face the grounds which were now bathed in moonlight. It would be Halloween next week and Bella couldn't help but wonder about everything at the moment. What was the truth, what were the lies, and how much did the people around her know?

"So here's what we'll do." Harry said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "We'll go together to meet with Regalis." Harry told her. "And if his proof isn't good enough for you, we can tell Snape or McGonagall who he is and have him kicked out."

Bella nodded. That was a sound plan indeed. Her mind must truly be jumbled if she didn't think of that herself. "And...if I feel like his proof _is_ good enough?" Bella forced herself to ask.

Harry, surprisingly, smiled. "Then we'll need to bring in Hermione, of course. She'll make sure the proof is real. You know Hermione, she knows how to check for things we dont even think of." Harry's smile was warming Bella up and clearing her mind. "And if she doesn't find anything wrong with it, then we'll start asking Regalis more things about your dad and take it from there."

"You're a sharp one Potter." Bella teased him, making Harry scrunch his nose at her. "Thank you Harry. I knew I could tell you. Hermione's dear but she wouldn't understand since both her parents are with her still. And I'm still a little annoyed with Ron to be honest, besides he'd call it a trick and probably say something that would make me hex him." Bella smiled when Harry laughed.

"Don't ever worry about that with me Bell." Harry told her as he pushed the tapestry aside a little and checked the halls. It was past curfew and no doubt Mrs. Norris and Filch would be up and about, looking for stragglers. "I'll always be willing to listen. No matter how unbelieveable it might sound."

Bella smiled and gave him a quick hug before disappearing down the hallway. Harry watched her go with a heavy feeling weighing down his chest.

He just had this sudden, horrible feeling that Bella would be getting hurt badly this year. _But I'll try and keep her safe. _He promised as he hurried up to his common room.

* * *

"Lucius." Bella said and the archway appeared. Harry marveled at everything as he was led down into the Grotto. To think Bella found places like this... Hogwarts must really like her.

"Miss Malfoy...ah, you have brought a guest?" Lucius asked when he spotted his daughter accompanied by Harry Potter of all people.

"Yes." Bella replied simply, settling on her throne. Lucius watched Harry walk right up and sit himself on the arm of the throne, his head held high and his emerald eyes steely. He quirked an eyebrow at the boy, then secretly smiled as he turned and pulled a small phial from his bookbag.

"This is my proof." He said as he held up the phial and moved it slowly, so that the thing inside moved. Harry couldn't call it gas nor liquid, but it moved so fluidly and was silvery-white in color.

"What is it?" Harry asked, leaning forward a little to get a good look at it.

"This, Mr. Potter, is a Memory." Lucius said and watched Bella's eyes widen.

"What? A Memory?" Harry asked, standing up now and walking over. Lucius pulled it back and glared at Harry who glared right back.

"There's a thing in our world Harry, called a Pensive. Severus has one." Bella said now, slowly getting up and walking to stand a few steps in front of Lucius. "It is a special thing, which is made of Memories like this. Neither gas nor liquid, or Memories are fluid. And it is a very good proof Harry, very very good." Bella reached out a few slender fingers and Lucius gave her the phial.

"Why is it so good?" Harry asked her, watching Bella hold the phial up to the greenish light that filled her Grotto.

"Memories are hard to fake Harry." Bella replied, watching the substance swirl in the phial. "And hard to tamper with. So he's brought the best proof he could." Bella looked over at Liam who was watching her intently. "Well, that is depending on whose memory it is."

"Your father's Miss Malfoy." Lucius replied. Bella nodded, watching the phial for a moment longer then turning to him.

"Thank you Mr. Regalis. You may leave now. I'll speak with you later if I am satisfied." Lucius nodded and both Harry and Bella followed him as he made his way out of the Grotto.

Once he'd disappeared around the corner, Bella waved her wand in an arc and the archway glowed with golden light. "Orion." She said and the light changed to green. Seeing Harry's quizzical look, she smiled. "New password." Harry nodded then, approving.

Bella then took his hand and led him back to the Grotto, where he stood by as she dug around in a hidden cupboard. She pulled out a small stone basin and Harry saw it was filled with the same liquid as the phial.

"This is a Pensive." Bella said to Harry in a calm tone that was ruined by the slight shaking of her hand. "Touch it with your wand." Bella ordered breathlessly. Harry saw her grip the phial tighter in her hand then pulled out his wand and poked the weird subtance.

It turned clear as glass then on the surface but when Harry leaned over he saw he was staring into a forest. There was a bright, yellow moon and a bunch of shadowy things moving. Harry looked from that to Bella who smiled wryly. "With Pensives, people can store and replay the memories that have been placed inside the pensive. Lots of scholars and theorists use it to remind themselves of things they might forget later on. Severus uses it to deal with his memories of the war and his childhood. He gave me this one just a little while ago...after the boggart incident."

Harry watched Bella break the seal around the cork and then pull out the stopper from the phial. She tipped the new memory into the Pensive and the scene shifted away from that dark forest and began forming a new scene. "One can also, literally, stroll down memory lane with a Pensive." Bella said and Harry looked up at her. She smiled and then leaned forward until her nose touched the surface.

Bella suddenly lurched forward and Harry barely had time to grasp onto her robes before he too was pulled forward.

They landed in a heap on a cold stone floor. Harry gasped when he looked around. It was dimly lit except at the front of the room they were in. People in black cloaks and hoods stood around them, huddled together as if for warmth. Harry helped Bella to her feet and they watched as the gathered people murmured and whispered to each other.

Then the door was thrown open and they all fell to their knees as Voldemort entered the room. He looked as evil as ever. His face was the snake's face. His eyes a merciless crimson. A giant snake followed him into the room and once Voldemort was seated on the throne in the most well lit area, the snake wrapped around the back so that her head rested on Voldemort's shoulder.

"Now then, you've been gathered here to discuss our latest mission. Lucius?" One of the cloaked figures stepped forward, something shiny dangling from his hand. Bella gasped when she saw what it was.

"He has my music box charm Harry!" Bella whispered even though they were in a memory. They watched Lucius stuff it away in his pocket before kneeling before Voldemort.

Voldemort smirked then began speaking once more. "Now Lucius, you remember your target do you not?"

"Of course my lord. Mireya Soledad Diaz, a worker in the Spanish Minsitry. She is a special witch that holds vital information to our cause. My mission is to get that information from her." Lucius said. Voldemort laughed and smirked.

"Very good Lucius. Very good." Voldemort rose then and walked towards the blonde man. "You must do your absolute best to win her over to our cause Lucius. She is of utmost importance to me." Voldemort's gaze grew malicious then. "Now Lucius, in order to ensure you do not falter in this mission..."

"That's...horrible..." Bella said as she watched the Death Eater's hold her father down as the Dark Lord began a complex and painful spell that twined something dark and greasy looking around Lucius's body. Her father screamed in agony the whole time, screeches of such utter pain that Bella had to cover her ears to try and block out the sound.

When it was over, Bella noted that the memory was differnt. Tinted, kind of like looking through sunglasses.

"Now go Lucius..." Voldemort whispered and Lucius sprang up from the ground like a puppt on strings. His eyes flashed red briefly before returning to the Malfoy silver.

"Enough...enough..." Bella said and she tugged on Harry's arm, bringing them both back into the Grotto.

Harry knelt beside Bella as she sat on the ground, staring at the Pensive's once more clouded memories.

"Enough....enough..." She kept saying. Harry let her, patting her back and murmuring softly.

* * *

It was enough for her, Lucius noted, when Bella and the Potter boy came down for dinner.

It was enough for him to see the shock on Bella's face. Her pale complexion, her sharp eyes, which flickered from Severus to Albus to Draco to Harry to Liam and all over again in a complicated dance.

It was enough because he could see the little seed of doubt growing in her silver eyes.

And that's all he wanted at the moment.

He would be happy with that.

* * *

Sirius stared at Bella as she worked on her potion. She had her long hair tied up, her face glowing slightly, her eyes wide as the liquid bent to her will.

Severus watched with pride as she worked next to Harry, who was surprised he was managing a perfect potion for once.

Suddenly Bella stopped and looked over at Liam who was watching her steadily. Sirius turned his doggy head towards the boy as well and narrowed his eyes. He could see the glamours working constantly over the boy's body and smell traces of various potions used to disguise and hide one's appearance.

He wanted Bella to see past those, to figure out who this person was. Why would anyone impersonate a third-year wizard?

Something was up here. Something he felt obligated to find out. He just had a bad feeling that made him paw at the ground.

He'd figure it out.

* * *

Sirius couldn't believe what he was seeing.

He'd followed Liam out of the castle a few night's later. The night before Halloween. Sirius had been led to a small house in Hogsmeade. He'd gone up to a window and peered inside.

Liam Regalis had sat in a chair and let out a shallow breath before his form began to change.

Limbs became longer, hair longer and lighter, skin lighter, eyes brighter.

When it was all over Sirius was left staring at Lucius Malfoy in the flesh.

Another man entered the room bearing a tray of potions and a flute of champagne.

"Thank you Calmouth." Lucius said, taking a sip of the champagne.

"You're very welcome Lord Malfoy." Calmouth said. Sirius bared his teeth and jumped through the window, breaking the glass and cutting himself but not caring. He shifted back into human form, waved his wand to shut the curtains and windows. Then he pointed his wand at Lucius who was already pointing it at him.

"Black." Lucius said.

"Malfoy." Sirius replied even as Calmouth took a step away and gaped at him.

"Well this is awkward no isn't it?" Lucius asked. "So you've been pretending to be my daughter's pet mutt?"

"At least I'm not pretending to be a third-year." Sirius replied. "Tell me, why are you?"

"Why are you being a child's pet?" Lucius asked in return.

Sirius sat down and sighed. "It's a long story."

"So is mine." Lucius replied, waving to Calmouth who snapped out of his surprise, straightened his robes and summoned a few drinks. Sirius took a bottle of butterbeer, took a large swig, then smirked.

"You first." Sirius challenged.

"Why should I have to reveal my secrets first?"

"Because I'm only looking out for Bella and Draco." Sirius said bitingly. "Since, you know, you're supposedly psychotic and all." Lucius nodded his head in acknowledgement and sighed heavily.

"Before I tell you my reasons, there is something you must know." Lucius narrowed his eyes as he stared at Sirius. "If you are truly only looking out for my children's best interest."

"What is it?" Sirius asked, wondering if the Malfoy Lord was playing with him.

Lucius looked steadily at Sirius as he finally spoke.

"You should know that the women claiming to be Narcissa Black and Mireya Diaz are in fact imposters." Sirius's jaw dropped. "Mireya Diaz was killed on the night of November 2nd, two days after the Dark Lord was vanquished, by Bellatrix Lestrange." Sirius glared in disbelief as Lucius continued. "And Narcissa Black was killed three days after that."

Sirius could only glare at Lucius for the longest time as the man glared back in return.

What?

* * *

**_And that's chappy fini for me! Merry Christmas! Hehe! _**


	18. Unraveling The Web

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_-------------_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) _**

**_It's a new year and I'm still filled with holiday cheer, so let's get it going!_**

**_Everything not made up by me belongs to J.K. Rowling. And any references to The Little Mermaid belongs to Disney. _**

**_--------------_**

**_Part Three_**

**_--------------_**

**_Chapter Eighteen: Unraveling the Web_**

**_-------------_**

Sirius just couldn't wrap his head around what Lucius had said. It just couldn't be possible. Could it? No certainly not....

"What do you mean? How can they be imposters and no one noticed it?" Sirius asked, happily grabbing the mug of mead Calmouth was now holding out. He took a deep swig then set the mug on his lap and stared at Lucius who had turned his head to stare out the window at Hogwarts in the distance.

"I am still trying to figure that out Black." Lucius admitted. "Severus knew both Narcissa and Mireya very well. He ought to have spotted the imposters the moment they assumed their places. However, Calmouth tells me he's been in constan contact with them ever since they left Malfoy Manor all those years ago and never suspected a thing."

Sirius looked at the man standing silently by Lucius's chair. Lucius nodded as he too, spared a glance at his servant. "He's been working for me since we were boys. I contacted Calmouth the day after Mireya and Narcissa left. It was during that time that I had one of my few lucid moments and managed to tell him everything that I suspected and needed him to do for me. Thanks to Calmouth, my children got ahold of all the Malfoy fortune once they were in Hogwarts. Malfoy Manor has been kept prepared for them. And my spies have managed to find out for me exactly what happened to my Narcissa and Mireya."

"But why would anyone kill Mireya and your wife?" Sirius asked. "Narcissa wasn't so bad when we were growing up. A little more arrogant and icy thank I liked but she was all right wasn't she? And I remember Mireya from when I visited James and Lily. She'd be there sometimes. We became good friends. She was always such a sweet thing, helping Lily and going on about her Bella..." Sirius felt the old ache growing in his chest now, except along with the old ache came a new pang. Mireya had died two days after Lily and James. He had been sitting in a cell awaiting transport to Azkaban. And although he and Narcissa hadn't gotten along well...he felt bad for her having died anyway. After all, she had a son...

"It was for the same reason that the Dark Lord took possession of me." Lucius bowed his head. "He knew of Mireya before I did. Back when she was still a student in La Armonia. He disguised himself as a professor. Tomas Marvillo." Sirius rememebered the name now. Mireya had spoken with great affection of her professor a few times during that last year. "He discovered Mireya had a special ability. She could manifest beings out of silver to do her bidding. And he discovered the ancient secret of the Malfoy, our exalted Power of Purpose." Lucius shook his head. "At first he just wanted me to have a daughter and to bring Mireya into the Death Eaters."

"But then Draco was born and the Dark Lord had another plan. I was to seduce Mireya. Perhaps she would give me a daughter who could not only mold silver to her will but use the Malfoy gift to further the Dark Lord's plan. I agreed to this only to protect Draco and Narcissa."

Lucius paused to stare at Sirius who was digesting everything pretty well so far. He was looking grimly out the opposite window however, into the distance where he could just make out the lights of Black Manor glittering in the night.

"If Voldemort wanted the Malfoy power, why didn't you just use it?" Sirius asked now.

"The Malfoy power only passes onto the females of my bloodline. An added protection, a blessing, given unto them by the red moon." Lucius smiled then. "Bella has it. And the Dark Lord's vision came true in a way. She can also mold a subtance to her use. Not silver however." Lucius's smile grew wider then.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, having a feeling he already knew.

"The Grotto." Lucius said calmly, eyes glittering. "And I have heard stories of her finding many other hidden places. Places that no one can find unless she is with them. Places even Dumbledore cannot remember being there." Lucius turned to Sirius who was gazing at the castle now, where the girl in question was sleeping peacefully, untroubled by anything.

"Bella can morph stone then?" Sirius asked, eyes round. Lucius chuckled then.

"Bella controls the earth and the magic within it." Lucius said, eyes wide with the same awe he always felt when he thought of his daughter. "It would bend to her every whim if she knew that that was what she was doing. No weapon or wand could match her power...if she only knew... Add that to our Power of Purpose and she could resurrect Atlantis if she were so inclined."

"Merlin..." Sirius breathed out, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"What is truly unbelievable however, is that not only did Bella gain these powers...but Draco also has great powers which he manifested as a babe. He's capable of twisting the space around him. He could smother you with air or squeeze your head until it popped, all with a mere glance." Lucius said. Sirius's eyes dart from one window to the other while his thoughts whirled in his eyes. He took another deep swig of mead and shut his eyes. The silence lingered for the longest five minutes any of the men could remember passing.

Finally Sirius opened his eyes and stared at Lucius. "So you're saying Bella and Draco have special powers that made them valuable to Voldemort." Sirius said slowly, the words sinking into his mind.

"Yes. And somehow, Narcissa and Mireya found out that the Dark Lord was planning on stealing Bella and Draco to raise them as he wished. They had also discovered, to some extent, that I was not always in control of myself. They knew something was going on and so, Narcissa began to investigate. She contacted Mireya through letters she sent to Dumbledore. She worked with her own set of spies and discovered that the night before I set off for Spain, I met secretly with the Dark Lord and several others who hadn't been seen since. She'd been getting closer to discovering what had occurred to me when suddenly, Bellatrix revealed her to the Dark Lord as a spy." Lucius sighed heavily, pain in his heart now for his wife.

"She was thrown into a dungeon on October twenty-sixth. The Dark Lord was planning his assault on the Potters by then so she lived for a few more days." Lucius fell silent and stared at the fire for a second then continued on.

"My spies tell me that the Dark Lord discovered the connection between the Potters and Mireya a day before he went to attack. And so he sent Bellatrix to keep an eye on her. It seems that Mireya was in Godric's Hollow two days after the Potters' murders. She was helping out with the funeral arrangements. Bellatrix seemed to feel she was just as guilty for the Dark Lord's downfall as the Potter boy and so she hexed Mireya. Mireya cried out but she had learned dueling well and they fought for several minutes until Bellatrix managed to land the Killing Curse. It was three days later, when my spies tell me that Bellatrix went to find Narcissa, and killed her off as well."

"I knew the women who came to my home were not my Narcissa and Mireya. But I was still, somehow, under the Dark Lord's spell. So I could only play along. When I was lucid, I made sure to contact Calmouth and make arrangements for Bella and Draco. I planned on killing these imposters and then taking my children with me to somewhere far from England."

"But before I could do that, these imposters vanished with Draco and Bella. They made Severus their Secret-Keeper. He made sure that after they left the manor, I could no longer see my children."

"I cannot remember what I did after that first month alone, with only that dark spirit possessing me. I cannot remember much of anything until many years later I awoke out of whatever stupor I was under and found myself facing two very terrified little children. My children, I remember thinking through the haze, even as they screamed in terror of me and used their wild magic to push me through a window." Lucius sighed like an old man might sigh out his dying breath.

Sirius watched the blonde man, a man who in spite of the terrors and trials of Azkaban still retained his prestigious Malfoy looks. He appeared like a husk however. Sucked dry and then filled with something new. Sirius was sure he wasn't much better off.

"So old Snake Face has been having his last laugh all these years has he?" Sirius asked then and Lucius managed a wry chuckle.

"I suppose he has, wherever he is hiding." Sirius jaw dropped yet again as Lucius calmly finished his wine. "Did you truly think him dead Black? How else would he be able to possess me for all those years after his defeat? How else could he completely take control of me for six years until I awoke to find Bella and Draco looking at me like I was the devil incarnate?" Lucius's chuckle was filled with bitter amusement and self-loathing. "I have paid a dear price for my foolishness Black. But I have come away from those years knowing for certain the Dark Lord lives."

"I won't let Bella and Draco live steeped in lies any longer. Which is why I chose to plant the seeds of doubt in Bella." Lucius smiled now. "She has begun to question everything she's ever known about me. She has begun to question many things she had simply pushed away before now. I won't let her push the truth away any longer. I shall make her see the truth and then help her convince my son of it. Then we can rid ourselves of all this bitterness and anger and sorrow. We shall take up residence in Malfoy Manor. We will push this behind us and begin again...." Lucius's eyes glittered with conviction. The same conviction Sirius felt when he saw that rat.

"So now Black, I have told you my story." Lucius said solemnly as he drew his wand and stared at Sirius with a deadly gaze. "Do you care to tell me yours?"

"Where shall I begin?" Sirius asked, taking another mug of mead and wondering if he could still hold his drinks.

"Begin with how it is that you are my daughter's pet mutt." Lucius said. "And then you can go on from there."

So after taking another drink for good measure, Sirius told him of his escape from Azkaban, how he managed it, how he found his way to Harry's home, how he came to be in Bella's. He spoke of Pettigrew, the rat, or Remus, who suspected but denied the truth to himself. He reminesced about Mireya, about Lily, about James. He spoke of how he too wished to convince Harry of the truth someday, or at least make sure Pettigrew never got his dirty little paws on him.

When he finished, Sirius found Lucius staring at him with a new look of conviction in his gaze.

"I suggest a partnership Black." Lucius suggested. "Why not help each other out? We're both, according to the law, wanted and hostile fugitives. We both have wrongs we must correct in our lives. And our reasons for escaping coincide so well with each other, considering Bella and the Potter boy have such fond feelings for each other."

Sirius couldn't see how he'd benefit from this but then again, he was in a spot of trouble. He couldn't Obliviate either Malfoy or his servant. He'd alert one or the other and thus his secrets would get out. And then again, Malfoy had a point. If Malfoy could convince Bella he wasn't the bad guy, then maybe Bella could help convince Harry Sirius wasn't that bad either. Sirius would like his godson to know he wasn't the monster people made him out to be.

"All right Malfoy. Let's give it a go." Sirius said, holding out his hand and smirking when Lucius shook it. "So where do we go from here?" He asked then.

"We begin by working with Bella." Lucius stated. "She has powerful sway over both Potter and Draco. If she can be convinced, she will convince them, and thus open their minds to the possibility of another version of the truth. Once they realize they've been lied to, they will think twice before trusting other's words."

Sirius nodded and had to take another long drink. Tonight had been on hell of a night.

* * *

Bella awoke to find herself in her Grotto. She wondered what she was doing here at first. Then she remembered she'd snuck out of her room late at night to revisit the memory.

Over.

And over.

And over again.

It was burned into her retinas by now.

So it was that she awoke, next to the Pensive, on the ground. She felt stiff and the bit of water that leaked into her sanctuary had made its way into her clothes. She looked around her and then blinked.

The walls weren't exactly a replica of Ariel's Grotto anymore. They were smooth now, still tinged green with the murky light from above, but now they looked manmade. Her throne was on a dais and the stone swept up around it in the shape of waves. The floor was made of some sort of glittering, smooth stone. It had gotten bigger and much more elegant.

Hearing stone grate on stone, Bella sat up fully and turned to look at the hallway, where she found another surprise. There was a door there now, and stone stands held stone cages which housed glowing fairies.

"Bell?" Harry called as he opened the door and found her sitting on the ground. "Bell!" He said, rushing forward and kneeling beside her. "There you are! We've been worried sick! What are you doing here? Ugh, you're all wet!" He said and Bella let him ramble on for a bit before silencing him with her fingers on his lips.

"Calm down Harry. Everything's fine." Bella said with a tired smile. Then she turned serious and pulled him closer as she heard others racing down the path. "I believe Liam Harry. I believe him and want him to tell me more, tell me everything. But I'm afraid of doing it alone. Will you help me?"

Harry saw the determination mingling with the desperation in Bella's mercury eyes, and gave her a nod. Then he smiled. "Of course." He replied. "Like you even had to ask."

Bella grinned. Then she spotted Hermione over Harry's shoulder and said in a soft whisper, "It's time to tell Hermione. She's clever and her thoughts would be nice to hear."

Harry looked over at Hermione who had begun scolding her for disappearing. Yes, it was time to tell Hermione.

Bella would need all the strength they could lend her, if it proved true that she'd been living with lies all these years.

* * *

After she'd gotten scolded by Harry and Hermione some more, then taken to Slytherin house for fresh clothes--where Draco scolded her for a full fifteen minutes--Bella settled down in her throne once more, calling for Dobby to bring up breakfast.

The room had altered again, and now on a slightly lower dais there were two elegantly carved chairs on either side of the throne. Harry occupied the one to her left at the moment, while working his way through a plate of eggs and sausage.

Hermione sat in a chair at a small table, eyes round as she took in the refashioned Grotto and Bella.

Something had happened to her friend, Hermione realized. With a twinge of guilty regret Hermione also realized that it had been weeks since she'd properly spoken to Bella. She couldn't pinpoint why. Just that she had been trying to calm Ron's sudden renewed distrust in the girl. Hermione suspected where most of the mistrust was coming from but until she had further proof, she'd wanted to try and restore the peace. Of course, between Draco's overprotectiveness, and Ron's stubbornness, that was starting to seem like a wasted effort.

So now Hermione turned and caught Bella's eye as the halfblood girl took a sip from a crystal glass.

"Is there a reason neither Draco nor Ron are here?" Hermione asked, seeing Bella would not begin this conversation. Or rather, that she didn't know how to.

"Yes." Bella said, smiling now. "And that reason is closely tied into the thing I wished to discuss with you." Bella set her glass down now and drew herself up. Hermione watched, with barely supressed girlish giggles, as Harry gave Bella's hand a small squeeze before he leaned back into his throne-like chair.

"It is something important." Hermione stated, getting into her listening pose. "Something Draco and Ron cannot know about?"

"Yes." Bella said again, grinning now as she relaxed. "You see...that transfer student, Liam Regalis, he has come to me with some...strange news."

"Strange?"

"Mmhm." Bella got up from her throne and walked over to one of the dozens of alcoves. She pulled out the small stone basin that Harry recognized. "This is called a Pensive, Hermione. It allows people to view the memories of others or their own." Bella then reached into her robe pocket and pulled out a phial that held a glistening memory in it. "And this is a memory given to me by Liam Regalis..." Hermione's quizzical stare made Bella feel considerably lighter than earlier in the morning. It was because she knew in her heart that once she explained this to the witch, it would be easier to deal with Liam later. Hermione would lend her wisdom, Harry his silent strength. She could face the crumbling of her world so long as she had allies there to help her stand.

"What is in that phial?" Hermione asked, getting up to examine it. Bella let her for a few seconds.

"A memory." She finally answered and Hermione paled a little but then flushed with the pleasure of discovery.

"Regalis says he works for Bella's dad." Harry spoke up now, leaving his seat as well to stand beside Bella. Hermione paled considerably now and her fingers clenched around the phial.

"Your father?" Hermione asked Bella who was staring into the depths of her memories.

"Yes. He spoke to us about it, then promised proof that what he told us was true, and then gave us this memory. When you read up on memories and Pensives, like I know you will Mione, you'll see why this is such a big thing." Bella then took the memory, tipped it back into the Pensive, and instructed Hermione on how to use it.

Ten minutes later Bella pulled Hermione out of the Pensive and stared at her with sad eyes as Hermione sat down heavily in her chair.

"Regalis says father is innocent. That he was possessed and used during all these years until he got into Azkaban. He says I've been lied to. Well lied to by omission I guess." Bella rambled now, pacing. Hermione sat there for a few seconds then suddenly shot out of her seat and graped Bella in a tight hug. Bella bit her lip then let out a shaky breath.

"What can I do for you?" Hermione asked, pulling back to stare into her friend's silvery eyes.

"You can research all the ways to tamper with memories." Bella said. "And how to test memories to see if their tampered. But those can wait. I've decided to go ahead with this situation and have contacted Regalis to come here at lunchtime. I'd like you and Harry here, as much for moral support as for different perspectives." Bella bit her lip once more. "I want to hear Regalis out. To learn more. If Father truly is innocent...then maybe...maybe..." Bella trailed off, her eyes filled with possibilities. Hermione just nodded, knowing that was all that was needed.

"Thanks Mione." Bella said, squeezing her friend in a loving hug. "My world's getting smashed into pieces this year." She added, with a little teasing light poking through her sad silver eyes. "Well, better than possessed teachers and giant snakes at least." She added then, giving a little laugh. Harry and Hermione laughed as well.

They'd both see this through, and maybe, hopefully, at the end of this, Bella could come out unharmed.

* * *

"Impressive. Though it's former design was just as grand if rugged." Lucius said as he settled into a high-backed yet comfortable chair. The Grotto had morphed from roughly carved out rock into a grand audience room. The walls were smooth and held perfectly made shelves and alcoves. The stone had transformed into marble. The floor was a darker stone than the walls that glittered in the green light from overhead. The circle above had grown larger to fit proportionally with the increased space below. Little trendils of lake water still littered the ground but they looked intentional and beautiful.

On a dais the throne sat, framed by stone waves. Bella sat upon this throne, her head held high. She looked like a queen inspecting a peasant, with her sharp Malfoy eyes boring into Lucius's skin. Dressed in elegant dress robes, hair piled in a high knot on her head, she was a sight to see. And only thirteen! Lucius could not help but wonder what it would be like when she began realizing her true power...

As it were, it seemed she was already exercising the Malfoy trait of using powerful people to intimidate others. On either side of the throne, on slightly lower ground than it of course, were seated Hermione Granger, dressed in well made Muggle clothes and a curious stare, and Harry Potter, who wore his school robes and a hard look on his face.

"Yes. But I find I like it." Bella replied to Lucius's words, her eyes wandering around the improved space before she smiled a sharp smile.

"I take it you have chosen to believe me?" Lucius asked, wondering if his smugness was betrayed on Liam's face.

"Yes I have." Bella said as she turned to look at each of her companions. "I'm not so stupid as to simply take all your words for the truth however. Which is why you see Hermione and Harry here." Bella's eyes warmed as she looked at each of her friends. "Hermione is the cleverest witch I know, and my first true friend. I trust her council completely." Hermione flushed with pleasure, and Lucius was curious to note a slight glint of guilt in her brown eyes. "And Harry has shown me time and again his loyalty and a desire to see me safe. I know I can trust his judgements as well."

Lucius had to smile at the way Bella spoke. It was pride and respect that made that smile twitch on Lucius's enchanted face.

"Then tell me, Miss Malfoy, what exactly you wish to know." Lucius spread his hand wide, showing her she was free to ask whatever she wished.

Bella stared off at the far wall for a long time. Then finally she turned to Lucius and her eyes were softer than mercury. "What does he want from me and Draco?"

"Nothing." Lucius replied, smirking inwardly at Harry and Hermione's instantly skeptical looks. "Nothing that you aren't willing to give." Lucius added then. "He knows that telling you the truth may not result in you accepting him as your father in all senses of that word. He merely wanted you to know the truth, for he feels that you both deserve the chance to make your own choices. Anything that comes afterward is an added bonus as they say."

Bella stared at Lucius and he had to wonder what Liam's face was showing.

Finally Bella sighed deeply and nodded. "That's acceptable then. But I'll need a lot more than just a few words and a memory to convince Draco. What else can you give me?"

"The whole truth." Lucius replied, incling his head towards the Pensive he saw glowing in its alcove. "With plenty of memories and other forms of proof of course."

Bella bowed her head then. "Then please, tell me the whole truth. I want to know."

Lucius nodded, then turned away from Bella to hide his shark's grin. "Very well." He said and proceeded to tell her everything he had told Sirius the night before.

At the end of his tale, he stared up at the ashen face of his daughter, and worried he might have said too much, too soon.

"My mama...isn't my mama?" Bella asked finally.

"I am afraid not." Lucius replied.

"And your proof?" She demanded straightaway. Lucius smiled, if a little sadly.

He turned to Hermione then, having heard of Potter's dismal Potion's skills and deciding to test this witch's cleverness. "There is a potion, fairly simple, that can be used to compare things such as blood. It is the Blood Ties Serum."

Hermione's eyes flared with recognition and Lucius patted himself on the back. "I've read about that. It was created during the Scottish Wizards War back in the fourteenth century. It was used to test the blood of people who returned to wizarding families, to ensure they were who they said they were. Nowadays its used mainly in binding contracts and in some Gringotts vaults as a prerequisite before being allowed entry."

Lucius had to admit himself impressed at the girl's retention of the information she'd read.

"I suggest you test your Mireya's blood against your own." Lucius said then. "And test Narcissa's against Draco's."

"But..." Bella looked at him with worried eyes then. "But what will I do if the results are negative?"

"Then I suggest you contact the Malfoy lawyer, Reginald Calmouth." Lucius said and Bella's eyes softened.

"Oh right." Bella said, recalling what she'd just been told about all that her father did, when he could, to give her and Draco all that was entitled to them as heirs of Malfoy.

"You can also ask Reginald to help you become emancipated from your mothers....if you so wish to be." Lucius added.

"And go where?" Bella wondered.

"Malfoy Manor." It was Harry who spoke up and now the other three looked at him. "Well, I mean, you can't leave England." Harry said to Bella now, ignoring Hermione and Liam. "You just can't."

Bella smiled and nodded, her eyes bright.

"Don't worry Harry. I was leaning towards the manor anyway." Bella grinned when Harry blushed a little. "It would be nice too. To go back."

Hermione rose from her seat then and began pacing.

"I have told you everything I could think of." Lucius said, rising as well. "If you have need of me, please don't hesitate to ask." Lucius added.

Bella nodded and waved him off. Lucius smirked as he felt her eyes on his back. Yes, this was perfect. She would begin unraveling the web of lies around her. She'd be free of those venomous imposters and she and draco would return to Malfoy Manor, where they belonged.

* * *

Once he was gone, and she'd given the Grotto a new password, Bella turned to her friends and gave them a pained look.

"What do I do?" She asked them in the most broken voice Harry could ever remember hearing from her.

He stared at her helplessly for a moment after that. It was hard not to. This was Bell, who had fought off a possessed Quirrell with him in first year, who'd fought the basilisk with him in second year, who stood up for him when people thought him evil, who laughed with him and stood by him without any other incentive than to be cared about for being herself.

She was a cunning Slytherin, an honorary Gryffindor, a kind Hufflepuff, a wise Ravenclaw. She was sweet and she could be mean. She could stand up to stronger and older wizards than she and laugh as they tried to bring her down.

But at the moment, she was just thirteen year old Bell, who was being told a story that was seeming more and more like truth. She looked so small and helpless...a princess in a war-torn kingdom.

And for the first time in what Harry thought was probably forever, all the weight of the world was on her shoulders. If she proved Regalis's words true, then it not only affected her, but her beloved brother, and the life they shared with their "mothers". If Bella proved Regalis's words true...then her and Draco had been living a convoluted lie for their entire lives.

"We brew the Blood Tie Serum." Hermione said now, reaching over to enfold Bella in a sweet, sisterly hug. "I'll read up on it, and then we can begin brewing it here. Together." Hermione looked at Bella who was still pale, her silvery eyes shimmering with tears. "We take it one step at a time. While we brew the potion, we'll dissect Regalis's story and verify as many of the facts as possible. You can contact that Calmouth person, and perhaps he'll be able to tell you things no one else can."

"Draco will notice though." Bella said, turning to look up at the lake overhead.

"So let him notice." Harry said now. "And if he asks, tell him you can't tell him yet." Harry smiled when Bella rolled her eyes, color returning to her skin.

"Oh sure. Tell my overprotective brother with the complex that I can't tell him yet." Bella snorted softly and Harry was glad he'd at least been able to cheer her up.

"_If_ Draco notices," Hermione said now with an eyeroll of her own, "then it's up to you to decide whether or not to fill him in on what Regalis is saying."

Bella nodded and gratefully hugged Hermione before pulling away to begin heading back towards the dungeons. She shed the elegant robes, revealing a pair of dark jeans and a beautifully bejeweled tanktop. She let her hair down from the tight curl before pulling it into a thick ponytail.

"All right then. Hermione, Harry, I'll leave the potion brewing up to you." Harry grimaced while Hermione's eyes took on the gleam they always got when the girl got to prove her intelligence.

"What will you do?" Harry asked as they hit the stairs that would take them up to the entrance hall.

"I'll contact Calmouth and verify as much of Regalis's story as possible. If there's even one thing off about it...well, I'm sure I can think of the perfect retaliation." Bella stated, turning to Harry and smiling. Harry recognized that smile. It was the same smile she gave difficult Slytherins before cheerfully slapping them upside the head.

"Just don't go on a berserker rampage." Hermione chimed in now and Bella laughed brightly while leading the way into the Great Hall.

* * *

Bella hadn't been sure what a good way of contacting Calmouth would be. After all, she couldn't ask Severus for the man's information. For one thing, Bella didn't know what his role in all this was. For another, if she asked Severus, he'd tell her 'mother' and that might tip the women off.

So she instead resorted to a method that would no doubt have Hermione huffing and puffing.

Sitting alone in her Grotto the day after Halloween, with only Snuffles as her companion, Bella sat on her throne and stared at a spot on the floor just in front of her.

"Beezle." She called calmly, quietly.

After a second's wait, the oldest house-elf of her family appeared with a snapping crack.

"Young mistress be calling Beezle?" Beezle asked.

"Yes. I have two things I wish to ask of you." She said then.

"Beezle will be happy to do whatever young mistress asks." The elf said, ears twitching as he gave the girl a small grin.

"Firstly, I must ask how loyal you are to me." Bella asked and watched as Beezle stiffened for just a moment before turning solemn brown eyes onto the girl's serious expression.

"Beezle is very loyal to young mistress." Beezle said. "Beezle was trained to be of use to young mistress and Master Draco. All Beezle wishes is to be of use to you."

Bella nodded and then smiled. "I am happy to hear that Beezle. I don't know what life would be like without you." She smiled sweetly as the elf gave a toothy grin of pleasure. "Now Beezle, the task I wish you to complete is of the utmost secrecy. You cannot tell anyone of it without my permission. Not anyone. Not Severus, Mama, Tia Cissa or Draco." Beezle nodded, his face serious as well. "I want you to deliver this to the Malfoy lawyer, Reginald Calmouth." She said, producing a neatly rolled up scroll with Calmouth's name written in Bella's hand. "Tell him it's very important to me that he give me a reply as soon as possible."

"Beezle be doing it right away young mistress." Beezle promised, taking the scroll.

"Thank you Beezle." Bella watched him crack away before relaxing. The moment lasted only a second however. She had to go meet with Hermione now. Hermione had said earlier at breakfast that she'd read up on the Blood Ties Serum again and there were things she needed to discuss with her over it.

Bella wondered for a moment if she was doing the right thing here. Even if everything Regalis said was true, Mireya and Narcissa had been good mothers to them. They'd loved them and cared for them all their lives practically. So what if they were imposters?

A little voice in her mind spoke up then, and reminded her of how she'd been kept, for all purposes, hidden inside the walls and gates of Black Manor. She'd been hidden from the world and nearly gotten herself locked up again this year.

She wouldn't allow there to be any more secrets in her life. She was a Malfoy, entitled to many things by that fact alone. Nodding to herself she left her sanctuary and hurried up to meet Hermione in the girls bathroom.

* * *

"Zuffy." Bella said softly as she stood once more in her Grotto.

This time a much younger house-elf with bright blue eyes and a squashed nose entered the Grotto. She was much bubblier than Beezle, but then again considering she was a cousin of Dobby's, that wasn't so surprising.

"Miss be calling Zuffy!" Zuffy cheered, bowing and grinning brightly.

"Yes. I need your help and more importantly your secrecy." Bella said. Immediately the silly grin left Zuffy's face. She noted the serious tone and reacted accordingly.

"Zuffy keeps Miss's secrets." Zuffy said and Bella knew the truth in those words. Zuffy knew many secrets that Bella had only ever told Draco. Things that no one else was privy to. "What can Zuffy do for Miss?"

"I will need blood from my mother and Tia Cissa." Bella stated.

The Blood Ties Serum could use skin, hair, basically anything with DNA in it. But of course it worked best with blood. Bella wanted there to be no margin of doubt, so she decided to ask for the blood. If anyone could get it, it would be Zuffy. She was a sneaky little elf when she needed to be.

"How much blood from Mistresses will Miss be needing?" Zuffy asked.

"If at all possible, enough to fill these." Bella replied, pulling out two small vials made of quartz. Quartz would purify any thing from the blood that might cause a false positive or negative, such as anitbodies from colds or any lingering effects from potions such as Polyjuice and all its variants.

Zuffy took the two small vials and tucked them into her towel-toga. Then she bowed and spoke in a voice of quiet assurance, "Zuffy will get blood from Mistresses and bring them to Miss as soon as Zuffy can."

"Do whatever you have to to make it easier." Bella said now. "If you really must, drug them and take it while they sleep."

Zuffy grinned once more. "Zuffy won't be needing to Miss." Then she bowed, hopped twice and disappeared with a loud crack."

Bella leaned back in her throne and stared at the wall across from her. Even now, the serum boiled and roiled in a cauldron in the room that had appeared in the Grotto. Hermione would come in a few hours to add another few ingredients. It would take a month and a half to brew.

The serum would be poured into four separate cups. Bella would pour some of her blood into one of the cups and the serum would react to it. The serum would then be produce a hologram-type image of her family tree.

She would then compare that tree against Mireya's.

And if they weren't connected, then Bella would have her answer.

With that answer, she'd have to decide.

Decide between revealing this fact to Draco or simply hiding this knowledge and keeping it quiet for the rest of her days.

"Snuffles." She called and the dog came out of from behind her throne, plopping himself down in front of her feet. Bella noted how alert he was. Much more than any other dog she'd known. More than her Calixto or Zephyr. "You're not going to turn out to be something completely opposite too, are you?" She asked, teasingly. "Because if you are, then you might as well do it now while I'm still numb to the shock."

Giggling when Snuffles gave a series of woofs and snuffles, she turned her head away for a moment.

Then a cold wet nose touched her knee and she jumped a little, glaring playfully at her mutt.

With another woof, the dog began to change.

Bella watched with impassive eyes as the dog stretched and grew and fur receeded up to his head.

When it was done, Bella was left staring up at a man she'd never thought she'd meet face to face.

"Sirius....Black...." She whispered, silver eyes meeting bright grey ones.

_Well now, _the little voice in her head said, _you weren't expecting this. _

_No I wasn't. _

* * *

**And chappy fini! Woot woot! Hope you enjoy it! **


	19. The Truth Revealed

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_----_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) _**

**_Welly well well, what'll happen next? Honestly I don't know either ^^. So let's get started! _**

**_Everything not made up by me belongs to J.K. Rowling._**

**_

* * *

_**

**_Part Three_**

**_----_**

**_Chapter Nineteen: The Truth Revealed _**

**_---------------_**

"Bella." Sirius said for the twentieth time. Well more like the sixth time. But considering how long Bella had been sitting there, staring off into space, it could have been a hundred.

Slowly the girl's silvery eyes closed then flared open. She stared up at him and her eyes widened as they finally seemed to really take him in. Sirius let her stare, wondering what would happen now. "Are you going to run screaming now?" He asked, his tone slightly teasing.

Bella's lips quirked into a harsh smirk. "And leave my back open to you? Pft, hardly." She replied, her eyes turning into steel. "You should be the one running. I know your secret now, you can't escape this time."

"I don't think you'll rat me out." Sirius said, shrugging nonchalantly. His own grey eyes glittered for a brief instant with smugness. "Besides, who'd believe you? I could steal your wand right now and Obliviate you."

Bella paused at that then frowned. "Draco would believe me. And Harry. They'd know if something was wrong about me too."

"Well I suppose they would...but I'm not exactly doing anything am I?" Sirius asked, holding his hands out and grinning.

The Slytherin girl stared at him for another long span of time before sighing and sagging in her throne. "Oh I'm too tired for this. What are you doing here?" She asked with more emotion in her tone this time. Sirius settled down on one of the chairs at her side and put his chin in his hand.

"Well I am your pet Snuffles aren't I?" He asked, winking then. Bella dropped her head.

"I must have inhaled too many fumes today." She muttered. "I'm talking to Sirius Black who is claiming to be Snuffles."

"I am Snuffles." Sirius repeated. "I'm also an Animagus."

Bella's head shot up and understanding flooded her eyes. "Oh...of course..." She whispered to herself. Sirius internally cursed Lucius Malfoy then. It was obvious that the whole 'my father's innocent and my mom's an imposter' scandal was wearing the girl out. "Animagus...it all makes sense."

Sirius nodded. "I wasn't planning on using you or anything." He figured he ought to say this now, before her mind began cooking up ridiculous scenarios for why Sirius Black in dog form would find her. "I was just looking for shelter from the rain that day. You were kind enough to give me shelter, food, and attention. I felt it wouldn't be too bad to stay. And then I found out you were friends with Harry and..."

The girl was staring at him with worried eyes now. "What do you want with Harry?" She stood up then, so quick and stiff that Sirius wondered how she managed to without breaking something. "Because if you're here to hurt him, forget about it! I won't let you!"

"Calm down Bella." Sirius said softly. "I'm not here to hurt Harry. I want to protect him."

"Protect him? From what?"

Sirius's eyes shadowed and his face looked creepily skeletal in the lake's greenish light. "From a rat." He finally replied, his lips curling in a sneer. Bella was about to ask but then shook her head.

"Why should I believe that?" She asked, sitting up in her throne. Sirius frowned for a moment.

"....It's a long story." Sirius took a deep breath and then told Bella the story. He told her about how he and James were best friends as kids, how they along with Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, were always causing mischief. He told her about becoming Animaguses, though not the reason why. And he told her about the Fidelius Charm, about Peter...about where Sirius knew he was now.

By the end of his story, Sirius wondered if perhaps he shouldn't have revealed himself yet. Bella looked shell-shocked. He was afraid that one more surprise like this and she'd break down. He was amazed she was even still functioning properly as it was.

"So do you believe me?" Sirius asked. Bella opened her mouth, and then shut it, bowing her head before giving Sirius a nod. He wondered why she shut up and knelt down to get a look at her face.

Silent tears trailed down her cheeks and into her lap. "Bella?"

"Why?" Bella whispered. "Why are there so many secrets and lies? Why do people think they need to keep things from us?" She wiped at her eyes and shook her head. "I'm done." She muttered then. "Done with people who lie and hide the truth. I'm done. If I find out Mama isn't my real mama then I'm done with her. I'll tell Draco. We'll do whatever we want." She sniffled but when she raised her head, her face was merely damp and her eyes glittered with repressed tears and anger. Sirius had seen that expression a lot lately.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Bella asked Sirius. He shrugged.

"What should I do?" Sirius asked her in return. To his surprise Bella leaned back in her throne, hands cupping her chin as she studied him with probing silver eyes.

"You said you wanted to protect Harry from a rat." Bella said. Sirius nodded. "Pettigrew is a rat." She said then and again Sirius nodded. "And he's been living with the Weasleys for all these years." Bella frowned and then dropped her hands to her lap, clenching them into fists. "All right then. I'm guessing getting to Pettigrew is your main objective." Sirius nodded yet again, his eyes wide as they stared at Bella. "Then I guess the only proper thing to do is to help you." Bella said then, eyes filled with only truth as her lips curled into a smile.

Sirius took a breath then smiled in return. "But why?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Harry's..." Bella began then stopped, looking a little lost as she stared up at the lake bottom. "Harry's important to me. I'm not sure yet in what way...but he is important to me. I want him to be happy always."

Sirius kept mum about his thoughts on that subject and just settled for a grateful smile. "Of course, that means you'll be helping me as well." Bella said now, getting up from her throne and heading to the door.

"I suppose that's only fair." Sirius said, preparing to change into Snuffles. "What do you need me to do?" He asked. Bella smiled as she opened the door and paused there.

"I'd like you to go to Wiltshire, find Malfoy Manor and tell me what you think of it." Bella said before turning and walking through the tunnel, back up into the castle dungeons.

* * *

"I've tried every spell I could find. It's genuine Bella." Hermione said in her resigned tone, handing the phial of memory back to Bella.

"So it is real." Bella whispered to herself before sighing. She and Hermione were in the library, supposedly studying. "Then that's good." She murmured, staring out into the November sky.

"It is?" Hermione asked.

"Mm." Bella nodded. "I've made my choice. If the Serum reveals I'm not Mireya's daughter, then I am telling Draco. And then...I'll be asking for emancipation and moving into Malfoy Manor." Bella said it all calmly, her silvery eyes on the distant horizon.

Hermione studied her Slytherin friend closely before reaching over and putting her hand on Bella's arm. Bella turned to look at her with a grin. "Whatever you decide to do, Harry and I will be with you." Hermione promised. Bella nodded, happily taking her friend's hand in her own.

"Thank you." Bella whispered.

Hermione grinned at her now, before pulling back and opening her Arithmancy textbook. "Now, let's actually get to studying." Hermione said in her stern lecture voice. Bella giggled then and pulled out her astronomy homework, pushing all thoughts aside for now.

Still, her mind wouldn't stop wandering to the Grotto, where the Blood Ties Serum simmered away.

* * *

Fred and George Weasley were the best pranksters to have ever lived. At least in their humble opinion. They also considered themselves nice blokes. That was reinforced by their need to defend Bella whenever Ginny began insulting her.

They, unlike Percy and Ron, had a very good idea as to why their younger sister was so vicious towards the halfblood girl. They could see it, almost as if it were a physical thing. Ginny was jealous of Bella, and her jealousy only seemed to grow with every day. They didn't like it, and often told their young sister to kindly shove a sock in it whenever she started in on the innocent Slytherin.

It wasn't only Ginny though. Lately they'd heard more and more snide comments and harsh whispers about Bella Malfoy. The rumor around the school was that she was up to something and had roped Harry and Hermione in on it.

Which is why they had decided to talk to the girl. They weren't as close to Bella as they might have liked to be, but they hoped to change that now. They too had noticed the way she would keep to herself, how quiet she got at the oddest of times, how her eyes were constantly flickering with emotions too numerous to keep track of.

So, considering they liked the girl well enough and considered her a good person, they decided to follow her one Thursday afternoon.

Bella had just wandered into the dungeons and the twins followed her down there. They kept their distance, and Bella seemed too caught up in her thoughts to notice them like she might have at the beginning of the year.

They followed her deeper and deeper into the dungeons, surprised at how much deeper and colder they went. In some distant hallway they heard the drips and pings of water and figured they must be somewhere close to the lake by now, if not under it.

Then they came to a dead end and as they hid in the shadows, they wondered what Bella was doing down here.

"Capricorn." Said Bella. The twins watched as a ragged line appeared on the wall and then that part of the wall disappeared. Bella walked forward into the place.

Looking at each other, the twins waited until the wall replaced itself. They gave it another five minutes before they then went over to it. In unison they said, "Capricorn."

The wall slide to the side and they entered to find themselves in a tunnel. They followed it, splashing in the bits of water and examining the thin film of ice beginning to appear in patches.

The tunnel led to a door. A simple enough door. It was slightly ajar they saw. Peeking in through the crack they stared into the great chamber of the Grotto.

"Like it?" A voice said from behind them. Jumping, they turned to find Bella stepping out of a small alcove in the wall. It was drapped in shadows and considering their curiosity, it was easily overlooked. Bella smiled at them and walked over to the door, pulling it open more. "Come inside. The tunnel's chilly but there's a fire in the Grotto."

"This place is amazing." George said then.

"Isn't it?" Bella replied, walking over to her throne and stroking the waves. Fred whistled as he stared up at the underbelly of the lake. A school of fish passed over it then, disturbing the weeds and dirty that had settled over the glass.

"I never knew this place existed." Fred said then, eyes darting to George who shook his head.

Bella smiled at them in a curious way. "It didn't used to exist." Bella bit her lip then turned to look up at the glass ceiling. "I think...I think_** I**_ made it exist."

"Whoa...really?" The Twins asked in unison. Bella nodded slowly. "How?"

"I don't know how exactly. I've just been noticing lately that I find things no one else can. And sometimes I find rooms like this where I can be alone, or where I can hide away with just a few friends."

A loud pop echoed in the room then and Bella hurried over to another door, throwing it open. A cloud of steam escaped, fogging up the glass. The twins hurried after her to find her stirring a cauldron full of watery looking blue stuff. Bella tossed in what looked like sprigs of holly. She stirred a few more times then sighed and wiped her forehead clear of the steam that had clung to her skin.

"What's that?" Fred asked while George wandered over to the large book sitting on a stand. He read the title _Blood Ties Serum_ with curiosity.

"A potion I need." Bella said, turning to them with a serious gaze. "One that might change everything." She added quietly.

"So...what's going on Bella?" George asked now, walking over to put his hands on the girl's shoulders. "You've been spacey lately."

"That's an understatement." Fred butted in now, staring down at the third year girl.

Bella looked from one to the other. She started to shake her head when suddenly the urge to tell someone else overcame her. Before she could help it, she blurted out, "My mother and aunt might be imposters."

Fred and George looked at each other then back at Bella. She sighed and bowed her head. "It's a very long and complicated story. If I tell you, you have to swear on your mother's life you wont tell another soul until I say you can."

"We swear." The twins whispered. Bella led them back into the main chamber, and they settled in the squashy couches there. Bella called for Dobby who delivered tea and snacks. She then sat up straight and told them everything that had happened so far. By the time she'd finished, Fred and George were left gaping in awe.

"So have you contacted your dad then?" George asked into the silence.

With a jolt Bella blinked at George and shook her head. "No...I haven't." She dropped her eyes to the tea tray. "I...I don't think I should yet."

"Well...if you believe him..he might like to hear it from you, ya know?" Fred stated thoughtfully.

The young girl just shook her head. "So...why were you following me hmm?" She asked then.

"Well, we've been noticing--" George said.

"--that our sister is a prat." Fred scoffed.

"And we wanted to know if you were in trouble or something--" George added.

"--So that we could offer you some help." Fred finished then.

Bella stared in shock then broke into a watery smile. "Why would you guys do that for me?"

Fred and George grinned at her. "Because we're not stupid like everyone else. You're a good girl to us and we hate seeing the school turning on you."

It wasn't something she'd heard lately, and so that was the reson for her tears. She sniffled and wiped them away, smiling once she could control herself.

"Thank you." She whispered, turning to look at the door as it was flung open.

"Bella did you add--" Harry stopped dead in his tracks as he spotted the twins.

"It's all right Harry, they know." Bella said then. Getting up she led Harry over to the room where the cauldron bubbled away. "And yes I did by the way."

"So er...they know?" Harry asked then, grinning at the Weasley twins.

"Yes...and I've decided that is a very good thing." Bella replied, silver eyes sparkling. The twins grinned in return. In unison they rose from the couch and bowed extrvagantly.

"We are at you service!" They told her, making both Harry and Bella laugh.

"Keep this up and you'll have an empire by the end of the year." Harry teased. Bella laughed then but her mind carefully tucked that idea away for later examination.

* * *

The days melted away quite rapidly after that. Fred and George were now usual company just as Harry and Hermione were. Ron was finally told of the Grotto, only because he got curious as to what his friends and brothers were doing in the dungeons so much. When he was told the story, he began spluttering and choking on his cupcake.

So the Grotto was filled with activity, and Bella was slowly gathering more courage to broach the subject with Draco. All she needed was the final bit of proof she felt she'd need. Honestly, Draco would believe her without any proof at all. But Bella felt that in order to be completely fair, they needed to preform the Blood Ties test.

"It's nearly ready then?" Sirius asked one evening as he lounged on one of the couches, happily munching on the delicious dinner Binni had brought them. The little house-elf had squeaked but Bella had managed to calm her down.

"Mmhm." Bella said, grinning at Sirius. Over the weeks since he'd revealed himself, Sirius had become like a big brother to the girl. He'd gone to scout out Malfoy Manor and had found it to be, "the most bloody amazing manor" he'd ever seen. In return, Bella had been going up to Gryffindor Tower a few nights now to check on the rat. Not only had they done favors for each other, but they also had gotten to talking during the late nights when Bella just couldn't sleep. They'd had plenty to talk about of course.

"In two more days, I'll know for sure." Bella said now, staring up into the lake bottom. Some mermen were floating along. They nodded in greeting and the witch nodded back.

"Then you'll tell Draco?" Sirius asked, turning around and laying on his stomach now. He reached out and lazily pulled a cigarette to his mouth. Bella wrinkled her nose but let him do it anyway. Even if their immune systems were better off them a normal humans, it didn't make the smoke any less disgusting to her.

"I'll have to. I couldn't keep that sort of secret even if I wanted to. But I wouldn't want to." Bella sighed as suddenly there was a crack and Zuffy entered the Grotto.

"Miss! Zuffy be doing it!" Zuffy cheered, completely ignoring Sirius while she bounced over to stand in front of Bella. She bowed then grinned and held up two small quartz phials.

"Excellent Zuffy! You brilliant little elf!" Bella praised, taking the phials and patting Zuffy's head. The elf preened and clapped in delight. "Was it difficult?"

"No Miss. Not at all. Zuffy got them easy. Zuffy waited and soon Mistresses hurt themselves and then Zuffy just snuck the phials to collect the blood."

"You cunning little thing you." Bella praised more before getting up from her seat and walking over to a set of drawers in the wall. She opened one with a tap of her wand, then set the phials in there and shut it with a locking charm. "Now all that's left is to wait." Bella murmured, sitting back down on her throne and staring back up at the ceiling.

"You've had plenty of practice with that." Sirius stated, eyes shutting as he relaxed. Bella gave him a nod before shutting her eyes as well.

* * *

Hermione gave the potion a quick glance then finally put the book off the side and put the fire out completely. "It's ready." She stated.

Fred, George, Ron, and Harry all looked up from their cards, gaping. Bella took a deep breath and slowly rose out of her seat.

"Is it now?" Bella asked, walking over slowly, the way she her eyes tightened the only outward sign of her nerves.

"Yes." Hermione nodded and pat her shoulder. Bella smiled and snapped her fingers.

Beezle appeared, holding a tray with four silver goblets. He walked over, set them on the table where Hermione had put the cauldron, and now he took the ladle and poured a it of the serum into each goblet.

"If you have sucessfully brewed the serum, then adding the sample tissue will reult in the image of the person's bloodlines. The bloodlines will connect if they are of relation to each other." Hermione read from the book, eyes narrowed in consternation.

"What?" Ron asked, watching as Bella grabbed the quartz phials from the drawer and then pulled another one from her pocket.

"It means that if my mother is really my mother, her bloodline tree and mine will intertwine." Bella said then, waving her wand and summoning one of her hat pins.

Taking another deep breath, Bella pushed two goblets to right edge of the tray, and the other two to the left. Then she took the phial she'd pulled from her pocket and poured the blood into one of the goblets on the left.

"Is that Draco's?" Hermione asked, watching the slate grey substance in the goblet begin to bubble and turn light yellow in color.

"Yes." Bella whispered, watching the yellow liquid beging to climb out of the goblet. They formed lines and limbs and spread further upwards until it nearly touched the ceiling. "Now for mine." Bella said, grabbing up the hat pin and holding her hand over the other goblet on the left.

She stabbed the sharp point into her palm, causing her friends to wince. Bella however, merely set the pin down and tipped her palm over, spilling the ruby beads of her blood into the serum. It bubbled as soon as the first bead hit it. Beezle hurried forward to heal Bella's hand, while she watched the liquid turn light yellow and begin to climb and grow just like Draco's.

Once it had, the teenagers stared at the bloodline trees which shivered twice, then pulsed, and finally began reaching out for each other. The limbs and stems melded together and formed one single tree that turned gold. A spot at the very bottom had turned red.

"Colors indicate the relations." Hermione said, referring to the potion's book. "Golden shows shared ancestors. Red shows a shared father, pink shows a shared mother. White shows siblings."

As Hermione read, the line growing down from the red spot turned pure white.

"Father...me and Draco..." Bella murmured, her eyes round while her fingers traced the air above the small spot of red and the line of white. She suddenly stood up ramrod straight and turned to the two phials on the table still. Without preamble she uncorked them, and dripped the blood into the goblets on the right.

They bubbled and grew. Two light yellow bloodline trees shivered before their eyes before they two began to twine. Hermione gasped loudly and dropped the book. The boys all stared in shock. Bella felt herself tremble but couldn't pull her eyes away. A spot of red and pink appeared on the right tree. Then a line of white.

"Zuffy!" Bella hissed, jolting the Gryffindors out of their gaping shock.

A crack and Zuffy appeared, tugging her ears. "Miss be calling Zuffy?" The elf looked like it had been crying. The sight of her distressed elf caused Bella to calm herself a little.

"What's wrong Zuffy?" Bella asked. When the elf shook her head, Bella felt dread trickle into her gut. "Zuffy, speak."

"Oh...Miss...Mistresses were very angry with Zuffy." Zuffy squeaked, then tried to bash her head on the table. Harry nabbed her before she could. "Mistresses are terribly angry with Zuffy and the others!"

"Why?" Bella asked, her eyes flickering to the bloodline trees.

"Mistresses tried to go to Malfoy Manor and were told they could not enter." Zuffy said in a hushed squeak, trying to bang her head again. Luckily Harry had a tight grasp on her.

"Who told them they couldn't go in? Why would they want to?" Bella asked, turning to Beezle who was wringing his hands now. "Beezle?"

"Mistresses go to Malfoy Manor once a month Miss." Beezle said then, ceasing his nervous gesture and standing straight and tall. "Beezle wondered why, but Mistresses never told us."

"So they tried to go there, and were stopped by who Zuffy?"

"Mistresses say Malfoy lawyer be telling them." Zuffy whimpered, twisting and trying to harm herself. "Mistresses told Zuffy she must't tell."

"You don't have to take orders from them anymore Zuffy." Bella said, her voice like a blast of arctic air. "None of you. They are not your mistresses."

Zuffy and Beezle both turned to her. "They isn't?" Zuffy asked, stilling for the moment.

Bella's lip trembled but she shook her head and managed to speak. "No they are not. You see these images?" Bella motioned to the two trees. The elves nodded. "They are bloodline trees. The one on the left is mine and Draco's. This one here, belong to those women. If they were your mistresses, there would only be one tree." Bella was shaking now, her face flushed and her eyes narrowed.

"Miss?" Zuffy asked then, reaching out to touch the witch's hand.

"Zuffy, you are to stay here. Do not answer the summons of those women. You are not bound to them any more." Bella said. Zuffy nodded rapidly, her ears flapping. "Beezle...please find my brother and bring him here."

"Yes Miss." Beezle disappeared in a flash.

"Dobby!" Bella was walking away from the trees now, hurrying into the main chamber of the Grotto, her Gryffindor friends following. Dobby appeared and took in Bella's face. "Miss?" Dobby asked.

"Get me Calmouth and bring him here. I don't care how, just do it."

"Yes Miss!" Dobby said, hurrying to do as he was bid.

Just as Dobby snapped away, Beezle appeared holding onto Draco. Draco was blinking and looked like he'd been in the middle of speaking when the elf had popped him in here.

"Bella? Granger? Potter? What the...?" Draco tried to ask.

Bella took a deep breath. "You asked me today why I needed your blood. I told you it was for something important." Draco nodded as Bella came forward, took his hand in hers and took him into the potion room. The two trees still gleamed in the gloomy light of the room.

"Here." She said and handed him the book which was opened onto the Blood Ties Serum page. She let him read and then watched him stare up at the trees. Finally he turned to her. "What's going on Bella?"

Bella sighed wearily then, feeling ancient all of a sudden.

"I believe I can answer that." They turned and Draco seemed further surprised at the appearance of their lawyer.

"Mr. Calmouth, can you tell me why the mistresses of Black Manor were trying to enter Malfoy Manor?" Bella asked.

Reginald Calmouth hid the smile that wanted to break out onto his face. "Your mothers were--"

"They are not our mothers and you very well know it." Bella interrupted, sharp silver eyes on the older wizard. Draco inhaled sharply and Bella turned to him. The tree on the left is yours and mine Draco. The one on the right was made when I tested our "mothers" blood."

Draco turned back to stare at the trees. He took a few seconds then said slowly, "There shouldn't be a second tree. There should be one split tree. Because of Mireya's Muggle blood. But there should only be one tree."

"Exactly. Which is starting to prove that maybe he as telling the turth after all." Bella grumped.

"Who?"

"Regalis." Bella said, turning shrewd eyes onto Calmouth now. "Who is he really?"

Calmouth gave a short bow. "I am under oath not to reveal it unless given permission from him...or until you have figured it out on your own."

Bella gave a frustrated growl. "Okay so then what the heck were those women doing at Malfoy Manor?"

"They were most likely trying to take more treasures to sell." Calmouth said, his lips setting in a harsh line. "A fifth of the Malfoy treasures have disappeared since you and your brother inherited the Malfoy legacy."

Draco's eyes narrowed then. "Bella, what the bloody hell is going on?" He demanded again.

Out of nowhere it seemed, Harry was suddenly standing beside Bella, his arm around her shoulders. "You're going to want to sit down Malfoy." Harry said then.

* * *

Draco fumed. His blood boiled and his silver eyes were like daggers. He stormed right into the Potions class, not giving a flying flip that Severus was in the middle of teaching a fourth year class. "Draco?" Severus asked, eyes narrowing. "What are you doing--?"

"Bloody hell Severus!" Draco spat out then. The class of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors gasped and sat stunned, eyes flickering from the young Malfoy to their evil Potions Master. "How could you not even know!?"

"Know what Draco?" Severus asked, tone low and deadly. Draco recognized it as his scolding tone but he plowed on.

"Know that the witches saying they were our mothers weren't really our mothers!" Draco shouted at the top of his voice then. Another ripple of gasps ruffled the dungeon air but Draco didn't care. "You're supposed to know this stuff!" Draco continued, stomping up the aisle towards the dark-eyed man. "You're our godfather! You've been with us since before I could do more than gurgle and spit! So how is it you didn't know we had imposters posing as Narcissa Malfoy and Mireya Diaz! How couldn't you know that my real mother has been dead all these years!" Draco's voice broke on the last words.

Severus's eyes had widened beyond any point his students had ever seen. He stood with a hand on the desktop, the other hand was clenched in a fist.

"What are you saying Draco?" Severus hissed then, eyes flashing. Draco recognized that look too. Severus was anger but he didn't care. He didn't!

"My father was under the Dark Lord's curse! My mother and Bella's were killed by Death Eaters right after the Potters! All these years we've been under the thumbs of imposters who could have killed us in our sleep!" Draco shouted now and his magic flared to life. It seemed to rush out of him in a wave and caused several cauldrons to dent and dozens of vials and jars to explode. Severus was even forced back a foot from where he stood. As he stumbled to right himself, his dark eyes focused on Draco once more.

"Draco...where did you learn this load of tripe?" Severus asked as calmly as he could. Draco took in ragged breaths then gave a harsh laugh.

"Load of tripe!? Severus! Bella preformed the test of the Blood Ties Serum! Her tree and mine connected! But the ones of our mothers didn't! They connected and formed a second tree!" Draco ranted, pacing, his robes swirling all around. Severus's eyes had narrowed, but now his lips were slightly parted. "Two trees! There shouldn't be two trees! There should be--"

"Only a single tree, split, showing Mireya's Muggle bloodlines and the Malfoy bloodlines, connected at the bottom by you and Bella." Severus said then, taking a deep breath.

"And there were two! The bloodlines of both those women connected! It showed they were siblings! Siblings Severus! They had the same mother and father! That shouldn't happen! Mireya was Muggleborn! My Mother was a pureblood!" Draco found the shouting theraputic. He couldn't believe Bella had kept this secret for so long. He had barely learned it an hour ago and now here he was, shouting at his only father figure, his mind whirling with all the implications of this turn of events.

"Out. Now." Severus snapped at his students. They rushed for the door, soon enough leaving Draco and Severus standing a few feet apart.

"Are you certain Draco?" Severus asked then, taking a step forward. "The bloodline trees for Mireya and Narcissa intertwined and revealed they were sisters?"

"Yes." Draco struggled to not shout, seeing that Severus was also making an effort to not hiss in agitation. "Bella and Granger brewed it together. So it can't be a mistake. And Bella collected the blood in quartz phials to make sure the samples weren't tainted."

Severus blinked twice then shook his head as he settled into a vacated seat. "Draco...I honestly had no idea." Severus said after several minutes of tense silence.

Draco trembled at the emotion in that sentence. Severus was usually reserved, even with them. To hear his deep voice filled with something...made Draco realize he really hadn't known anything.

"I understand." Draco muttered, before drawing himself up to his full height. "Now, what are you going to do about it?"

Severus stood up as well and reached over to gently ruffle Draco's hair. "I will be paying them a visit. Run along now. Keep Bella company."

Draco nodded and gave Severus a quick hug. "I want to know why they impersonated my mother." Draco hissed.

Severus gave him a dark grin. "I will make sure to find out." Severus promised. "Now, get yourself and Bella to lunch."

Draco shuddered a little at the look in Severus's eyes before he hurried away to do as Severus bid. Besides, lunch would be a good time for Bella to explain more fully all the details. He hurried back to the Grotto, thoughts and plans forming in his mind.

* * *

**_And that's chappy fini! Do you like? Hmm? I hope so! _**


	20. End to the Farce

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_----_**

**_By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) _**

**_Everything not made up by me belongs to J.K. Rowling._**

**_

* * *

_**

**_Part Three_**

**_----_**

**_Chapter Twenty: End to the Farce_**

**_---------------_**

She'd always thought that people were a little overdramatic when they wrote the phrases like "it sounded like my heart shattered into a million pieces". But she could understand that now. It truly felt like her heart shattered into a million pieces. And she could swear she heard all her ties with the woman she'd called Mama breaking. Just like glass, just like ice, it just cracked and splintered, leaving her motionless.

Bella continued to stare at the two shimmering trees long after Draco had returned from ranting at Severus and Calmouth had been sent out with the orders to apprehend the women if they tried to enter Malfoy Manor again. She knelt on the ground, staring up at the trees. It made no sense. None at all. How could these women have gotten away with it for so long?

"But...what does it matter if they weren't really who they said they were?" She heard Ron asked from somewhere far away.

"Just think how she must be feeling Ron! She's been told this woman was her mother all her life and it turns out that...that the real Mireya has been dead for years. Imagine how you'd feel if your mother turned out to not be your mom, but some lady acting like your mom." Hermione snapped back.

"Yeah but people adopt kids all the time." Ron replied and Hermione gave a frustrated growl.

"Adoption is one thing Ronald. Being lied to your whole life is another. Even some adopted kids don't find out until they're much older and it's just as devastating for them. They feel like they're strangers, or that their parents lied to them on purpose, or so many other things. Besides, it wasn't the fact that these women adopted Bella and Draco, it's the fact that they pretended to be their mothers when they really weren't. That's just wrong."

"Granger's right." Draco's quiet voice sounded closer to Bella but she still didn't look away from the glowing trees. "We could have dealt with being adopted. Purebloods often adopt the orphaned heirs of other purebloods. But...they took on our mother's skins Weasley. They looked and sounded like and acted like Narcissa Black and Mireya Diaz. They walked around with false faces. Faces that belong to the dead. If they could do that so easily, if they could so cruelly deny the mourning of those dead, then what else were they capable of? What else did they lie to us about?"

"Did they ever really love us?" Bella heard herself ask. "Did they care about us as much as they said? When we had nightmares, did they truly come to us out of maternal love or just to shut us up? When they sent Draco away but kept me locked up in the manor, were they doing it out of protection or just to be cruel? Were we burdens? Were we wanted?" The questioned tumbled like water spilling out of a dam. Bella started shaking, tears started prickling her eyes. "What were we to them? Easy money? Children? A way to blend into the crowd? Don't forget we're the children of a Death Eater, and an escaped convict. Maybe these women were really Death Eaters in disguise all these years, just waiting for the right moment to smother us in our sleep."

A shocked gasp came from Hermione but Bella just shook her head. "You know, I wouldn't be surprise if they were. Waiting for the right moment to kill us I mean. That'd be a very Death Eater thing to do." She gave a hollow chuckle. "And it would explain all those odd moment in our lives. Things I had pushed aside until now. I didn't want to think them. And now I feel horribly empty inside." Bella touched her chest, another hollow chuckle breaking free. "Like a Dementor just sucked my soul right out."

A warm hand landed on her shoulder then. Bella turned and found her brother there.

"I swear...they'll pay." Draco told her in a low menacing tone. "They'll regret hurting us like this. They'll regret ever thinking they could delude us forever. I'm going to take care of everything Bella. I'll wring them dry of everything I can. We'll never see them again I swear." Draco caught her eyes with his own. "We're Malfoys Bella. No one gets away with hurting us. With lying to us. I'll make sure they regret it for the rest of their worthless lives."

And there is was again, that enormous well of emotions and promises, or convictions and truth that tied the two siblings together. Bella knew Draco relaly would make those women regret lying to them, and Draco knew Bella would let him do anything he saw fit. She nodded and sighed a deep sigh of relief.

"I know you will." She whispered and let her big brother hold her tight. Her silvery eyes held an enigmatic smiling light in them. A little part of her was looking forward to that. To seeing those women pay. At the hands of her brother. Draco in a rage was always a spectacular sight to see. "I know you will." She repeated, shutting her eyes and waving her wand at the goblets. They shattered with a starling crack of breaking metal, but Bella just hugged her brother tight as he soothingly pat her head.

Harry, looking on from the doorway, saw the look of utter conviction on Draco's face, and shuddered. He'd never seen Malfoy look like that. Never in all his years. It was a little creepy to be honest. Harry just hoped whatever Malfoy was planning wouldn't backfire and end up hurting the Malfoys more. A person can only take so much heartache before they break.

He didn't want to see Bella break.

* * *

Narcissa and Mireya stared out from the bars of the cell they'd been unceremoniously thrown in. One minute they'd been looking around Malfoy Manor, the next Aurors had shown up and told them they were under arrest. They'd been enraged to say the least, but after six hours in a Ministry holding cell, they were quietly simmering with a mix of rage and curiosity.

"Why are we here?" Narcissa demanded the moment someone entered the room. "What reason do you have for arresting us in our own home!?"

"Your home?" A voice, quiet and predatory, asked. "That was Malfoy Manor you were found in. Not your home at all."

"It is our childrens home." Mireya said then, looking into the shadowy space where the person stood, leaning against the wall it seemed.

"Yes it is. Their home. Not yours." The voice said and the women shared a look.

"They are minors. Until they come of age, we have all say in their holdings, estates and vaults, all of that." Mireya said as Narcissa tried to figure out who had entered their cell.

"That would be true. If they were truly your children." The voice turned icy then. Narcissa and Mireya gasped.

"What do you mean by that!?" Narcissa demanded. "Draco and Bella are our children!"

"They are not." The voice chuckled then. "Your children are very clever. Especially Bella. She listens to things others would dismiss. She does things others would not believe her capable of."

The women did not like where this was going. "I demand to know why we're here!" Narcissa repeated yet again. The voice's owner shifted a little against the wall.

"You are here because it as been proven, with the use of the Blood Ties Serum, and with a further testing of your blood against that of the Malfoy heirs, that you are indeed imposters, parading about in the personas of Narcissa Black and Mireya Diaz. You are charged with the theft of Gringotts vaults, theft of private property, child endangerment and kidnapping, as well as many other little things."

"What...?" Mireya gasped out, her brown eyes wide with disbelief. The man laughed once more and finally stepped into the circle of light provided by the single light in the cell. Mireya and Narcissa gaped up at the form of the Malfoy lawyer, Reginald Calmouth, looking superior and smug.

"It is amazing how you remained undetected all these years. Surely someone must have found out at one point or another. No doubt you bought them off with money or simply murdered them to keep them quiet." Calmouth continued. "You didn't count on Bella learning of the truth did you? Or of Lucius getting in touch with them, now that the spell that held him captive all those years ago has been lifted? No, you thought you had gotten those children to love you enough so that, if ever they did hear anything of the sort, they'd immediately dismiss it."

"But you forget ladies, that they are Malfoys. Malfoys are never cheated out of anything. And you have been cheating them out of money and life for the past twelve years." Calmouth's mouth became a thin line. "We're searching for the remains of Lady Narcissa Malfoy and Ms. Mireya Diaz at the moment. We're bound to find them, do not doubt that. I have promised young Draco I would do my utmost to bring him his real mother." Calmouth bowed his head a moment before looking back up at the women. "So now I must begin to figure out how you have managed to look just like those women. Considering your blood came up clean when tested for any sort of potions and you have no active spells on you, I am guessing plastic surgery?"

The women did not speak but Calmouth just chuckled once more. He pulled a folder from his robes and flicked through it.

"You did it with a Muggle doctor in Brazil. You had your appearances rearranged to match that of the women and then simply dyed your hair and such to match them completely." Calmouth tsked as he shook his head.

The door opened again then, and Calmouth turned to see who it was. A smile twisted his lips. "Ah Severus, so glad you could join us."

Severus smirked as he came up to stand beside Calmouth. His eyes were cold and deeper than any cave. His face was gaunt and his black clothing made him look more menacing under the single light. He was a little disappointed the Ministry had caught the women before he could, but now he'd get to the bottom of things. For Draco and Bella, who were no doubt hurting at the moment.

"Severus!" Mireya cried then, looking pitiful and wounded. "Severus, please, there must be a mistake!"

"I tested your blood myself. There is no mistake." Severus informed them. Narcissa glared while Mireya dropped her head.

"....How?" Mireya asked then, lifting her face. "How did you...how did they figure it out?"

"That I cannot answer, though I think Calmouth knows." Severus said icily. "What I want to know, is why. Why did you impersonate Narcissa and Mireya all these years?"

"Don't say a word." Narcissa cautioned Mireya. Mireya's eyes darted sherwdly from Narcissa to the two men then back. she set her face then turned to Calmouth.

"What would I get if I cooperated?" She demanded to know. Narcissa hissed and lunged at her but Severus quickly subdued her with an Incarcerous.

"Well that all depends on what you'll tell us." Calmouth told her. "I can make it so that you spend your sentence in a Muggle prison instead of Azkaban, if what you give us is good and can be proved."

Mireya looked at Narcissa then nodded. "That sounds good."

"Then start with who you really are." Severus instructed as the woman settled into the hard bench she sat upon and nodded.

The woman who looked like Mireya took a deep breath then let it out. "I'm Angelica Veracruz. That's my sister Natalia. We were born in the US but when our parents died we were shipped back to Spain with our paternal grandmother. We studied magic in the same school as Mireya Diaz." Angelica took a breath. "I was one of her friends actually." The woman smirked a little then. "She was such a goody-goody, always doing her best to outshine everyone at the same time. But she was powerful and Profesor Tomas took a liking to her, so I knew it'd be good to keep on her good side."

"How did you come to impersonate Mireya and Narcissa?" Severus asked slowly, the woman's words sinking into his mind.

"About a few months before Bella was born we were approached by the Dark Lord himself." Angelica snickered. "He told us all about what little Mireya had gotten herself into, and why that child was so damn important. He asked us if we'd like to serve him, and we told him yes. He then told us that he knew Mireya wouldn't give her daughter up for anything without a fight. He didn't want to fight Mireya, she was valuable to his cause. So he wanted someone to mimic her, a look-alike who'd be given Bella while he took Mireya and broke her in private until she served him."

"The Dark Lord knew spells and potions could only last so long. So he ordered me to go to Brazil, where an acquintance of his would help me get the surgery I needed."

"So you were first?" Calmouth asked, scribbling on a notepad.

Angelica nodded. "Yes. I came back a few months later to find that Mireya had gone into hiding and so had Narcissa. The Dark Lord then informed us that Narcissa's son, Draco, possessed great powers as well. While his Death Eaters looked for them, the Dark Lord had Natalia be transformed into Narcissa. He would need her look-alike as well, considering he was planning on killing her once he got Draco."

"They hid well, I'll admit that. But when the Dark Lord wants something, it's best to just give in." Angelica smirked at the appalled look on Severus's face. "We found them soon enough. Mireya was stupid enough to go out in public and reveal herself. And Narcissa was stupid enough to snoop around in the affairs of the Dark Lord. Once we found out where they'd taken the children, we hurried to assume their places. The Dark Lord bid us to remain in our positions until he gave us further notice."

"Why not leave the children when the Dark Lord fell?" Severus asked.

Angelica scoffed, rolling her eyes. "We saw that that idiot Malfoy was still under the Dark Lord's control. So we knew our Lord wasn't gone for good. We knew if we waited, if we maintained our positions, he'd return soon enough and we'd be able to deliver unto him two fine weapons." Angelica laughed then. "Besides, the job had its perks, even if we did have to raise those two little twerps."

"Wait...you said Malfoy was _still_ under the Dark Lord's control?" Calmouth asked then, his eyes wide.

"Of course. Anyone with two eyes could see it. Even if the Dark Lord hid his signature well, there were still signs of his hold all over that Malfoy." Angelica rolled her eyes again.

"Hmm...I think that is enough to get them both into Azkaban, don't you Calmouth?" Severus asked then, a malicious smile spreading his lips.

Angelica paled. "Wait! You said I could go to Muggle prison!"

"I said 'I can' not 'I will'." Calmouth smiled brightly as he waved his wand and a small glass orb flew into his hand. "Severus, would you care for a few moments alone with the ladies?" Calmouth asked, already turning away from the women.

"I would not mind at all." Severus said.

Angelica and Natalia stared wide-eyed at the Potions Master as the Malfoy lawyer left without a glance behind him.

"Now...I cannot leave a mark on you..." Severus whispered as he drew his wand. "But that doesn't mean I can't hurt you." Severus added.

Both women cried out as their stomachs began to twist and knot and their insides began to spasm. They tried to scream but Severus sealed their mouths shut with a Sticking charm. He made their skin feel like needles were stabbing every inch and he made their bones feel like they were made of shards of metal.

It wasn't the true pain he wanted to cause them, but it would be enough to satisfy him for now.

He ended this torture after a few minutes, leaving the women panting for breath after he unstuck their lips. They stared at him, crazy-eyes and fearful masks on their faces. Severus just smirked and turned away, leaving them in the holding cell.

* * *

Bella stared down at the letter from Mr. Calmouth. He explained how two days after they'd tested the Serum, that the women were found inside the manor. He went on to explain what had happened in the cell, how the younger Veracruz sister had spilled the entire story thinking she'd get sent to Muggle Prison, what the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was going to do with them, and even how Angelica Veracruz had admitted Lucius had been under a spell from the Dark Lord.

_If the department can find more proof of this, then your father could be a free man by year's end. _

Bella stared at that line for a long time, her eyes prickling with the tears that welled up. Whether from relief or just out of sheer emotion, she couldn't say.

In three days her entire world had flipped on its head. She couldn't think very well. She refused to leave the Grotto. She hardly touched the food brought to her by her elves.

She couldn't do more than just feel.

Draco had a much clearer head. He had kept in touch with Calmouth, gotten to work on preparing Malfoy Manor for the Christmas holidays, and was contacting all his 'mother's' contacts, seeing if they could be of any use to him. He still felt the same amount of pain, but he was using that pain to fuel his efforts.

"Bell?" Bella looked up from the letter in her hands and found herself staring into emerald. Emerald that held warmth and worry and she frowned.

"Harry?" She asked, blinking to come back from outer space. It was Harry, leaning over her with concern etched into every line of his face. "What's wrong Harry?"

Harry blinked then sighed. "You're not all right. Come on Bell, let's go to Pomfrey." Bella shook her head. "Everyone's worried. The teachers keep asking where you are. Even Snape's distracted. He didn't take any points from Gryffindor during class today." For some reason, that struck a chord in Bella and her lips twitched slightly.

"Not even one?" She asked.

"Not even one." Harry said, pulling her up from the ground and steadying her. Her legs began to tingle as the numbness receeded. She wobbled but Harry caught her easily enough. "Come on Bell. Let's go see Pomfrey."

Bella sighed but allowed Harry to lead her out of her sanctuary and back into the world above.

* * *

"She's a bit undernourished and she looks like she hasn't had a decent sleep in a decade, but after a few Pick-me-up potions and a few decent nights rest, she'll be tip-top." Pomfrey said to Severus while Bella changed behind a curtain.

"I've been busy...but that's no excuse." Severus said as the curtain twitched open and Bella stood there in her nightgown. Severus went to her and Bella clung to him tightly.

"Yes well what's done can be undone at least. Now Miss Malfoy, I'd like to keep you in here for a night or two." Bella had to smile a little. It might be phrased like a request but Bella knew by now that Poppy Pomfrey did not make requests when it came to a student's health. So she gave Severus a squeeze and then picked a bed next to a window.

"You do whatever Poppy tells you." Severus commanded and Bella nodded. "I want you to worry about nothing but taking care of yourself." He added. "I'll hunt down Draco. He's been highly active all things considered."

"He's just taking care of me." Bella said, speaking for the first time in an hour. "But he does need to rest too."

Severus nodded, placed a small kiss on her forehead, then left.

"You'll be eating lunch then Miss Malfoy. And a potion or two." Pomfrey said in a warning tone. Bella nodded.

No sooner had the nurse left, before Harry appeared suddenly beside her bedside.

"I'm sorry." Were the first words Bella said to him.

"It's okay. You had to breakdown sometime." Harry narrowed his eyes. "But if you ever do that again, I might have to hex you." Bella laughed. "You kept too much to yourself Bell. Even though we all were right there, willing to listen." Harry said now, making Bella turn away like a chastised child. Harry took her hand and shook it a little. "You don't have to do that anymore. You have me and Mione, Ron and the twins, your brother and Snape. He's a git but he loves you, you know."

"I know." Bella whispered.

"We care about you too you know." Harry added, giving her hand another shake. Bella squeezed his hand in reponse. "You can tell us anything and we'll understand. I promise we will."

Bella looked up at him finally, smiling even though her eyes were much too bright. "Okay. I'll try to remember that the next time there's a violent shift in my universe." Her tone was teasing but Harry could hear the worry behind the teasing.

"I doubt there will be anymore violent shifts Bell." Harry smiled as he shook his head. "I think there's a limit of one per person."

Bella laughed then. Harry smiled sheepishly. It had been a bit of a weak joke but if it made her laugh then it was all good.

"Well then good." She dropped her head and sighed. Although the thing with those imposters was being taken care of, she still had many secrets left. Like Sirius. He was a very big one. And the most important one. What if he hurt Harry?

But she would deal with that after she got her strength back. For now she only had to worry about that.

* * *

Lucius smiled as he watched Mireya's imposter spill her secrets, thinking she was going to be let off from her crimes. His smile widened when he heard her accidentally reveal Lucius had been under a spell. They'd question her further on that, Calmouth had promised.

But what he really cared about was that now both his children were aware of the truth. They were probably hurting no doubt, but they knew the truth. That's all Lucius cared for at the moment. He'd even heard from Calmouth that Draco was planning on inhabiting Malfoy Manor with Bella once more. The thought of his children where they belonged made the Malfoy very happy.

Now if he could get a pardon from the Minsitry everything would be perfect.

An owl's soft hooting broke his concentration then. Turning he found a beautiful snowy owl with a spot of black on one of its wings. The owl's sharp eyes seemed to bore into him before it held out its leg. The letter tied to the leg was addressed to _Lucius Malfoy. _

Taking it with curiosity, he opened it, staring at the letter in wonder.

_Father, _

_I guess that's not a very nice way to start out a letter. But really, I don't know how else to address it. So that's how it'll stay. _

_I don't know how you got Regalis to work for you, or how you even snuck him into Hogwarts, but I have to admit I'm grateful. Without him, we would still be at the mercy of those imposters. At least now we have the truth and I can mourn my mother properly. _

_The ministry still hasn't found where she is buried. But they promised to keep looking. I have very little faith in them though. I mean, if they couldn't even detect the spell placed on you when that Veracruz woman could..._

_But I didn't write to tell you stuff you probably already know. _

_No, I wrote to tell you thank you. For pushing the truth out. We needed the truth. _

_I also wanted to let you know we're moving into Malfoy Manor. We're renting Black Manor out though. For what we're not sure but I'm sure between us we'll think of something. A little more gold in the Malfoy vaults isn't a bad thing after all. _

_And...I wanted to let you know that whenever you want to...I'm agreeable to meeting with you. Face to face, wherever you feel comfortable. Maybe you could come by the Manor...? _

_I think that after all that's gone on this last week, getting to know you is a priority. I'm a little nervous still but I don't want to be kept apart from the only parent I have left. _

_I'm sure my Mama would have wanted that. _

_Thank you for everything Father. I hope to see you soon. _

_Bella._

It was unexpected and yet so welcomed that Lucius let out a happy laugh. He wanted to jump around like a child but of course held it in. Malfoys were regal and composed. Well, that's what he'd been taught.

Still, he was just grateful Bella was giving him a chance. A chance to meet them in his own body, on his own lands, with his son as well.

He sighed and relaxed into his chair in his little home in Hogsmeade, watching the sky as the first snowfall of winter began to cover the ground.

* * *

**_It's a bit on the short side for me but I figrued you dear readers wouldn't mind. ^^. Thanks for your patience! I luvvles my patient readers! ^^. _**


	21. Malfoy Manor

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

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**By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) **

**Ya know something? I like reviews as much as the next person, but sometimes they're confusing as all hell. Like this one I got from someone called canoncop. What's up with that comment? (shakes head and grins) Well anyways, thanks for waiting oh so patiently for the updates. For those who read Catalyst...ehehe I've hit a road block again. Don't worry, I'll update it soon. I promise! Hopefully by this weekend. Now onward with the fanfic!**

**Everything not made up by me belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

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**_Part Three_**

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**_Chapter Twenty-One: Malfoy Manor_**

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"I wanted to know if you'd all like to spend Christmas with us." Bella asked on a Thursday, while the fourth snowfall laid a blanket of thick snow on the ground and they leisured the time away before dinner. Friday would be their last day then it would be the beginning of Christmas Holidays.

Ron, Hermione and Harry all turned to look at her in surprise. "Spend Christmas where?" Hermione asked, blinking at her friend.

"Malfoy Manor." Bella said cheerfully. The past fortnight had been hectic for her and Draco. They'd met with Calmouth four times. He'd helped them sort through all the stuff tied with theVeracruz sisters. The Malfoys seized their vaults, worked through mountains of legal documents that were now null and void, and dealt with very pissed off associates and friends of the women. Draco had asserted himself as Lord Malfoy and so everything their father had left for them was now under Draco's name. Calmouth took care of anything too technical for the children to understand.

On top of all that, Bella and Draco had decided to start working on a way to prove their father's innocence and the fact that he'd been under a spell all those years. It would be hard to prove, but Severus was happily pulling in favors left and right to get some thing done on that front. Bella had had to work hard to catch up, since she'd been slipping in her studies, while Draco had started brushing up on everything he'd need to know in order to be Lord Malfoy. Apparently that title came with a lot of extra baggage, especially considering most heirs didn't inherit until their seventeenth birthdays. The Ministry was trying to interfere by trying to convince Draco to accept a Ministry-appointed guardian. Draco was having none of that.

So all in all, Bella was as exhuasted as she had been nearly all year but in much better spirits. Her friends were glad for that.

"Malfoy Manor?" Ron wheezed. "Are you sure?"

"Of course." Bella said, reaching for her cup of hot chocolate which Dobby had just delivered. "Beezle tells me they've just finished freshening up the place. He says the Manor is in tip-top condition and I want to thank you all, for putting up with me." Bella smiled at them then. "Besides, I've never gotten to invite friends over to my home before. I'd like to start now."

Ron and Hermione began babbling in excited tones, but Harry remained quiet. Bella noted the sad smirk on his face and pouted. "Don't you want to get out of the castle Harry?" Bella asked him then.

"Of course I want to." Harry said, looking her right in the eye. "But no way will anyone let me with Black on the loose." Harry scowled then. Bella's conscience twinged just a bit, her silver eyes flickering to Snuffles who lay sprawled on the floor. The dog's ear twitched but that was the only action to betray Sirius's attention.

Ron and Hermione fell silent at that. Bella did too, although her silence was thoughtful.

"Hmm. Well Harry, as I see it, you have two options." Bella said at last when they rose to head down to dinner.

"Oh really?" Harry asked, amused and happy to see that shrewd look on Bella's face once more. Bella gave him a brilliant smile then.

"Yes really. You can either go with option one or option two." Bella paused then and grinned.

"And what are these options?" Harry demanded playfully.

"Option one is you be a good boy and listen to all the professors, who I might remind you aren't related to you in any sort of way and therefore can't really keep you from doing what you want." Bella stated. Hermione's mouth popped open, no doubt to say something in defense of the professors, so Bella hurried on. "Option two is you accept my invitation to my home, ignore what the adults are saying, and enjoy the holidays with me and our friends."

Ron laughed then and pat Bella's back. "Sometimes it's a good thing you're a Slytherin Bella."

Bella giggled. "Only sometimes Ron?" She questioned, making him turn pink and rub the back of his head sheepishly. Bella turned to Harry then, awaiting an answer.

"Oh but Harry, the professors are only trying to keep you safe, you know that." Hermione began. She paused when Bella held up a hand. Although the Slytherin didn't look it, she was a little annoyed.

"Harry." She said now, to get his attention. He'd been staring off into space for the past few minutes. Now his emerald eyes met hers and she tipped her head to the side. "Don't think about what's right and wrong." She said gently. "Don't think about what they might say. Think only about what you want." Harry's brow furrowed in thought. "Do you want to spend the holidays with me? Or would you rather stay here?"

"I'd like to get out and go somewhere new." Harry said at last. "I'd like to spend the holidays in your house with you and Ron and Hermione." Harry added. Bella gave him a warm smile.

"Then do you choose option one or option two?" Laughter glimmered in her silver eyes, making Harry smile in response.

"Option two." He said without hesitation.

Bella cheered along with Ron then. Hermione was looking troubled, but Bella already had an agrument to sway her brunette friend. "Oh Mione, don't forget who my godfather is." Hermione frowned and then her eyes brightened.

"Oh right! Snape will be with you too won't he?" Ron and Harry suddenly grimaced, making Bella laugh.

"Yes, Severus will be living with us. But you won't see him much if you guys come." Bella promised, which soothed the boys. "Malfoy Manor had three wings. The west wind which is reserved for family, the east wing for guests, and the main wing where we all gather. Severus will stay mostly in the west wing and in the private laboratory which is a separate building from the manor. The most you'll have to see him is at mealtimes." Bella said. Seeing the boys frowning still she put her hands on her hips. "Oh you can handle that! You do that everyday here!"

"Yeah but here he's a couple dozen feet away." Ron reasoned. Bella rolled her eyes.

"It's obvious that you know squat about my godfather." Bella muttered. "We'll be lucky if we see him more than a handful of times during the holidays. Sev loves working on his potions, and he loves testing new theories. He'll spend most of his time in the lab or in his room reading and brain storming. Or in the library." Turning to Hermione, Bella smirked. "Binni told me the library takes up a most of the main wing's second floor." She said in a sing-song tone, which had Hermione's brown eyes sparkling.

"Really?" Hermione asked, trying to be nonchalant. She failed and her friends laughed.

"Come on, please?" Bella begged as they settled down at the Gryffindor table. "Please, please, please, please!?"

Laughing her friends nodded. "Yes, yes, all right." Hermione huffed, making Bella squeal with joy and hug her.

"Yay!" Bella cheered. "Well then, I'll go and tell Draco now then, so he can start getting used to it. We'll be leaving tomorrow after breakfast so you better pack after dinner tonight." Bella squeezed Hermione in another hug and then hurried over to the Slytherin table.

"Wow." Ron breathed once she was gone. "Malfoy Manor."

"Have you seen it then?" Harry asked. Ron nodded.

"Once when I was a kid. Mum and Dad took us there. It's kind of like a momument to power gone wrong. Well that's what Dad said." Ron said, turning pink. "It's all white and gold and looks enormous. And it sat on so much land. They even say there was a Quidditch pitch built up to international standards that would put the school's to shame." Ron's face took on a longing look then.

"Actually it's slightly smaller than Hogwarts's pitch. But you're right about everything else." Bella said, startling them. She grinned a catty grin then. "I can't wait! Draco said it was alright. He's inviting our Slytherin friends over too." Seein Ron's face Bella wagged a finger at him. "Now listen here, at the Manor there won't be any Gryffindor this or Slytherin that. It's neutral territory, got it?"

"Don't worry Bella, I'll keep the boys in line." Hermione promised. Bella and she shared a laugh at the expressions on the boys' faces.

Bella couldn't wait. Christmas with people she truly cared about. Compared to her other Christmases, this one would be the best she'd ever had. She could feel it and it made her happier than she could ever remembering being.

* * *

The following afternoon Bella led the way to the Hogwarts express. Harry smiled as they walked side by side towards the station. Dumbledore had tried to get him to change his mind at breakfast but Harry had been firm. It helped that Bella had been standing quietly beside him.

Harry didn't know how to explain it sometimes, but Bella gave him strength even his best friends couldn't. She looked so small and delicate, a living china doll at times, but then there were those times when her eyes blazed with fire and her words burned his ears. Like when she'd told him to ignore what was right and wrong and just focus on what he wanted.

Harry didn't often focus on what he wanted. He had never been afforded the luxury of getting what he wanted before. It felt good to politely tell Dumbledore he would be all right, and he wouldn't stray beyond the boundaries of Malfoy Manor during his stay. Dumbledore had nodded sadly and left him be.

"You can borrow my Nimbus." Bella said suddenly, softly and sweetly. Harry turned to her with a grin. "I'll use Draco's. We can race around the pitch." Bella took his hand in her own, smiling at him. "Think about it Harry. For the whole holidays you'll only need to worry about having fun and you'll only have to do what you want to do." She grinned at him. "No Dursleys to tell you no. No teachers watching you like a hawk. Just us and our friends and Sev will be the only adult around for miles." Harry couldn't have stopped the grin spreading on his face even if he'd wanted to. Everything Bella was pointing out was wonderful and Harry couldn't wait till they got there.

"I'm gonna whip your but you know that right?" Harry asked, swinging their hands a little in his joy. Bella huffed but there was a twinkle in her eyes.

"I'd like to see you try Potter." Bella challenged.

"Try what?" Draco asked, bringing them out of their private moment.

Harry and Bella blinked at him before they laughed. "Harry said he's gonna beat me when we fly around the pitch." Bella stated and Draco along with Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle, scoffed.

"Yeah right Potter." Crabbe was saying now. "Bella's been holding back. You'll see."

"As if Crabbe." Ron said now, boarding the train and giving the bigger boy a withering look. "Harry's the best flyer I've ever seen. He's a natural."

"It's a nice start." Bella said then, getting everyone's attention as they found a compartment and began settling in. She smiled at them all. "You're fighting over flying not Houses. It's a good start." Bella explained.

Draco nodded along with Blaise and Hermione while Harry just grinned. Draco turned to Harry then and grimaced. "Potter, would you stop holding my sister's hand!?" He asked and Harry blinked, looking down to find his and Bella's hands were still connected. He was about to pull away when he suddenly decided he didn't want to.

"Make me Malfoy. I'm not hurting her or nothing." Harry replied. Bella blinked then laughed and threw her arms around him. Harry blushed but let her do it.

"Bella!" Draco whined.

"Oh it's not hurting anyone you dork." Bella replied, leaning back in her seat and taking Harry's hand in hers once more. "Besides, it's good that Harry's doing what he likes and not what people tell him."

"No offense Bell, but the day I do something your brother tells me to do, is the day Merlin gets resurrected." Harry said then, making Ron and Hermione, and even Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle laugh. Draco's lip twitched before he settled into scowling mode again.

After that, to Harry's surprise and Bella's delight, the train ride became more normal. Blaise and Hermione conversed about Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, Crabbe, Goyle and Ron argued about everything from Quidditch to which candy was better, Bertie Botts beans or Honeydukes chocolate. Harry and Draco kept up a running argument, mostly centered on Harry being too close to Bella for Draco's liking and Harry doing everything in his power to aggravate Draco.

Bella joined in the discussion of Ancient Runes and placated Crabbe when he started getting angry and laughed when Harry would grab her hand or put his head on her shoulder and stick his tongue out at Draco. It made tenderness and warmth flood her exhausted body. To see her friends getting along so well. These people whom she kept close to her heart.

_I'm the luckiest girl in the world right now. _

Evening fell quickly and they arrived in Kings Cross station a quarter to nine. They exited the train to be greeted by Severus and a few house-elves wearing towel-togas with the Malfoy coat of arms on their chests.

"The elves will take your trunks." Severus said, ignoring the gaping stares he was getting from his students at the sight of him wearing Muggle clothes. He didn't look too bad in them either. In fact, he looked far more human than a dungeon bat in Harry's opinion. "Come along then. We will be taking the Knight Bus to Wiltshire."

Harry groaned as he followed his friends and the Slytherins out into the Muggle station and then out into the street. They headed towards the Leaky Cauldron, stopping when Severus stopped. The Potions Master cast an eye about then quickly drew his wand and summoned the bus.

The Knight Bus was as crazy as Harry remembered. Filled with beds and an eager Stan Shunpike. Luckily Severus's scowl had the pimply-faced lad properly terrified and he stayed as far away from their group as possible.

Bella yawned and unceremoniously dropped herself into Severus's lap. He cocked an eyebrow but began petting her hair in a very gentle manner that once again had his students gaping.

"Tired Bella?" He asked his goddaughter, watching as she rubbed at her face.

"A bit." Bella mumbled, curling up more. "But I'm in a good mood so I don't want to sleep yet."

Severus chuckled softly and continued to pet her hair, lulling Bella into a half-asleep state. Her friends recovered themselves and continued discussions they'd left unfinished from the train ride. Draco leaned against Severus's other side, not caring that it made him look much younger than he wished.

Harry watched them together, the three of them, and he felt a small pang of sadness and envy. Even though their lives were train wrecks at the moment, they had each other and a strong and kind person who cared about them. Harry often felt very alone. The Dursleys didn't care, the Weasleys did but Harry hardly got to see them, and his friends had families of their own to turn to. Who did Harry have?

_Bell. _Harry suddenly thought, his eyes resting on the semi-sleeping girl. _She cares, and she's always there. She's stood by my side, fought off Voldemort with me, believed me without ever asking anything of me in return. _

He felt better then, and relaxed while the bus took them to their destination.

* * *

Malfoy Manor was enormous.

Bella stared up at her home, the place she'd lived in as a babe, and marvelled at the beauty of it.

Iron gates opened onto a gravel road, edged on both sides by tall, trim hedges. The road led straight up to a large courtyard, with a fountain of a mermaid in the very center and all sorts of flowering bushes creating a semi-circle. Soft globes lit the area with enchanted light and brought a gleam to the golden and silver decorations on the double doors.

Said doors opened silently onto a marble hallway, where portraits of previous Malfoys stared down severely. Bella paused in this place for a moment, standing next to Draco and staring up at their ancestors.

"You are the current Malfoys?" One of these portraits asked. It was an older man, still as pretty as all Malfoys, but with streaks of silver in his blonde hair. His cool grey eyes flickered from Draco to Bella and back.

"Two of them." Draco said softly. "Father is..." Draco turned to Bella who shrugged gently. The man hummed in thought.

"Who are you?" Bella asked, staring at the man with curiosity.

"I am Abraxas Malfoy." The man replied with a huff.

"Oh, you're our grandfather." Draco said then. The man blinked slowly, looking over them more closely now.

"So you are Lucius's children?" The man's lip twitched as he took in Bella's dark hair and Muggle clothes.

"Yes. We are." Bella said, pride leaking into her simple words. Abraxas smirked finally and gave them a nod.

"Welcome home, young ones." Abraxas sounded much kinder now, and his eyes weren't so cool anymore. Draco and Bella smiled at him.

"Thank you grandfather." They said in unison, before turning and walking over to Severus, who was waiting for them. They were in an entrance hall now. There were two arched openings, on one each side. Directly before them was a sweeping staircase, made of marble and silver.

"To the left is the recieving room. To the right is the dining room. From the recieving room you can access the parlor and the private sitting area. From the dining hall you can enter a smaller private dining room which is connected to the private sitting room. The parlor, sitting area and smaller dining hall all lead into the solarium." Severus explained. "This staircase leads up to the library, art room and music room on the second floor. The third floor is the ballroom. You may take the tour tomorrow, for now follow me."

Severus lead them through the right, into the dining room, which was huge and made for company to admire. Vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows depicting beautiful magical creatures, and a large fireplace with a beautiful white stone mantle, into which were carved elegant snakes and in the very center the crest of the Malfoys. The floor was polished dark stained wood and the table was dark cherrywood, with highbacked chairs.

There was a light dinner set out and the children all sat down at once to munch on delicate sandwiches that seemed to melt in their mouths and drink deeply of warm cider.

Once they were done, Severus lead them into a hallway connected to the dining room which lead them through a set of open doors into a large space.

"This is the east wing's common room." Severus told them, looking at Harry, Blaise, Hermione, Ron, Crabbe and Goyle. It was a room of warm tones. Golds and reds and browns that made Bella feel very welcomed. There was a place to read, a place to play chess, couches and comfy armchairs, and a high ceiling from which hung a beautiful crystal chandelier. "Those doors," Severus pointed out a set of goldenwood doors, "lead into an empty room. Feel free to use it however you see fit."

"All the wings of the manor have three floors. You will find your rooms on the third floor. On the second floor you will find a gaming room, a breakfast room, and a few more empty rooms." Severus told them. "If you have need of anything, simply call for any of the elves listed here." He laid a parchment on a coffee table then turned to find Bella staring around with wonder and Draco with a deep satisfaction. "I bid you good evening then." Severus said to his students.

"Goodnight sir." The others said. Bella and Draco waved to their friends before following Severus back through the hallway, through the dining room, and across the entrance hall. They stepped into the recieving room, which was in cool tones of white, silver, blues and purples. There was a large fireplace and the furniture looked beautiful and comfortable. Severus led them through the room into a hallway which lead to a set of ornately carved ebony doors.

Severus turned to them and smiled gently as they both gave a sleepy yawn. "This door will only open to those who are named as members of the immediate family. I have already cast the spell which allow you both and myself to open the doors, as well as Lucius." Severus paused after saying the name, as if expecting the wizard to poof out of the shadows. With a shake of his head, he turned and opened the door. Bella and Draco stepped into the west common room.

The space was bright and open, with lacy curtains on the windows, and more regal colors such as softer gold, white, silver, and various shades of green. There were two chandeliers in this room, made of silver twisted to look like branches with leaves.

After admirinig the area, the followed Severus up the stairs to the second floor. "To the right is our own breakfast room and a parlor. Across from us is an empty room; I'm sure you'll find an use for it. To the right there is your own private study and a room for your pets." Severus's eyes went down to Snuffles and Calixto then. "I've already assigned some elves to care for all of them. Zephyr and Ptolemy are there already." Severus told them.

"Is Orpheus in the stables?" Draco asked, thinking about his beautiful winged Granian.

"Yes. He has good company however." Severus caught their questioning stares and smiled. "It seems there was an Abraxan and another Granian left in the stables, which the manor elves were taking care of."

"Oh, well that's good then." Draco said as they followed their godfather up to the third floor.

"Your rooms are at the end to the right." Severus said. "Mine is the first door on the left." He pointed it out just as both siblings gave wide yawns. "Now, off to bed with you, you may tour your home tomorrow with you snot-nosed friends."

The Slytherins grinned and headed into their rooms.

Bella stood with her back against her door for a long while. The room was much like her room in Black Manor.

The walls were apple green with gold highlights and white molding along the tops and bottoms. The carpet was a plush white. On the ceiling was a fresco of a lovely lily filled garden. Bella smiled. She loved lilies.

Her bed and all her familiar furniture made it easier to think of the room as her room. She let her hands run over the walls and all the light colored furniture. Then she sighed and changed into the nightgown Binni or Natty must have set out for her.

Curling up on her familiar bed, peering through the familiar golden lace hangings, Bella had to smile. She was home, where she ought to have been for the past thirteen years. But she and Draco would make up for that.

She sighed happily and snuggled into the mattress, quickly falling into dreamland.

* * *

"This place is huge!" Harry exclaimed when they finally reached the ballroom on the third floor of the main wing.

It was huge. Beautiful, made of the same marble and stones and precious metals as the rest of the house. There were pillars going from left to right once you stepped into the ballroom, which created a space for those who wished to sit and gossip, and created a place for the musicians to be hidden in. Beyond the pillars was the main area for dancing. At the other end, directly across from the doors, was a dais on which stone seats rested, draped in silks of green and silver. The ceiling was pure glass, the walls had perfectly spaced high windows that held breathtaking views of the expansive Malfoy lands.

Bella loved it. She loved it all. Every room was perfectly colored and arranged to suit their purpose and give the impression of beauty and wealth. She adored this home and wondered how she could have ever felt happy in Black Manor.

Laughing she suddenly spun in the middle of the ballroom, staring up at the chilly grey sky. "I can picture it." Bella said to her friends, her words echoing slightly. "Dances and parties." She spun sharply, her shoes tapping smartly on the marble floor. "It'll be amazing once it's decorated." Bella said, eyes shining, face aglow.

"Yes, it will be." Draco promised softly, watching his sister as she flitted around the large space.

"We have to start decorating!" Bella said suddenly, rushing to the doors and hurrying down the stairs, her friends and brother following her back to the private sitting room. "Natty, Binni, Zuffy!" Bella called once they were all in there. The three elves appeared quickly, bowing to Bella who smiled at them. "Fetch the decorations, we're gonna be decorating today!"

"Yes Miss, we be doing it!" The elves said cheerfully. They snapped their fingers and boxes upon boxes began appearing on the ground.

Once they had fetched enough, Bella began assigning people rooms. Crabbe, you get to do the recieving room. Goyle, you decorate the private dining room. Blaise, you can start in your common room. Hermione, you get the library." Hermione squealed at that, grabbed a box and hurried away. Bella laughed then continued. "Ron, would you like to do the second floor of your wing?" Ron nodded. "Then Harry you can help me and Draco in the west wing." Harry grinned while Draco sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. "Right then, let's hop to it!"

They all grabbed as much as they could carry then went off to their assigned places.

Harry followed Bella and Draco through the recieving room and into the west wing. The cool serenity of the west clashed with the warm welcome of the east and Harry had to wonder who had decorated this giant manor.

"I'm going to start on the second floor." Draco stated then. "Keep your hands to yourself Potter." He added, sauntering up the stairs.

Harry just shook his head while he and Bella began digging out the carefully stored decorations. "The way he talks it's like I'm going to eat you for supper or something." Harry muttered, wondering what was Malfoy's deal.

Bella gave him a grin. "Draco's just Draco. You ought to be used to it by now."

"Oh I am." Harry told her, staring at the yards and yards of ribbon in the box he'd opened. "I just wonder why he keeps it up. I'm not contaigous with a deadly disease."

"Draco has a big brother complex." Bella told him, pulling out garlands of silver-colored holly.

"Hey, what're these?" Harry asked, pulling out a cluster of soft white glass globes. Bella exclaimed joyfully at the sight of them.

"Fairy globes! They're made to amplify a fairy's light. With the right spells you can make the lights brighter or softer or cause them to blink in patterns like Muggle christmas lights." Bella squealed softly then.

Harry watched her as she spoke, seeing her eyes light up with animation, so that they were liquid mercury and compelling. He could stare into them all day, and yet at the same time it felt like that light in her eyes might make him melt. Shaking his head a little he grinned sheepishly. He needed to stop having weird thoughts like that about Bell.

"How are we gonna get those garlands all the way up there?" He asked after clearing his head.

"With levitation spells or we can leave it to the elves." Bella said with a shrug. "Either way, they'll put everything to rights if we don't get around to it. The elves would normally decorate the manor but..." Bella smiled sweetly then, her hands behind her back as she looked around the common room. "But this is our first Christmas here. I want it to be special. I want to make it feel more like home."

Harry put a hand on her shoulder, staring right into her mercury eyes. He would admit it, he liked it when her eyes shined like that the best.

"Then let's get to it." He said and they spent the next hour rummaging around the boxes. Bella taught Harry the spells needed to levitate the garlands of holly and the miles of ribbons all around the ceiling. Then they focused on the walls and the large pine tree that had already been set up in a corner of the common room. Harry couldn't remember the last time he'd been this content. He and Bella joked around, talked about classes and plotted on ways for getting Harry into Hogsmeade.

For the first time in a long time, he felt like he'd come home. Usually that feeling only applied to Hogwarts but right now, watching Bella as she hung up a delicate glass ornament, he could feel that feeling settling inside him.

"I wish I could come back for the summer." Harry blurted out then, watching with a blush as Bella's face went from surprise to cheerfullness.

"You can you know." She stated matter-of-factly. "Unlike the Weasleys, I won't kowtow to Dumbledore. If you want to come back and spend the summer here, then you can."

Harry stared at Bella who stared right back. "It sounds like being selfish." He muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"Be a little selfish Harry." Bella replied softly. "You're a teenager, that's what we do." She added with a smirk that was all Malfoy. Harry found himself staring at her once more. She looked like a sweet girl most of the time, but there were these times, when her face resembled Draco's and all those others in the portraits. Times like this, when she was telling him to do things simply for the sake of doing them. Her eyes shimmered and Harry found he liked seeing them like that the best. When they were bright and alive like that.

"So I can come back?" Harry asked then.

Bella nodded. "From now on, my home is your home Harry. You can come here whenever you like." Bella said, smiling like a child with a secret. Harry couldn't help smiling in return.

"I'd like to come back then." He said softly, feeling a shiver run through him. He felt...good saying that. Not like he was being selfish. Bella noticed and gave him a smile.

"Well then good." She giggled and held up a bright gold star. "Now let's finish the tree."

Harry nodded, holding a chair steady while she climbed on it and reached up. She was a few inches away so she rose on her tiptoes. She wobbled too much for Harry's liking. She'd fall if she wasn't careful. "Gotcha!" She said triumphantly. The star stood proudly at the top and Bella grinned.

Then she lost her footing and fell backwards.

Harry thanked Quidditch as he caught her. They fell onto the floor laughing.

"Klutz." He said as she continued to giggle.

"I am not!" She huffed, her giggles ending suddenly.

"Are too." Harry teased. Bella stuck her tongue out at him and flicked his nose. He flicked hers in response. So Bella tackled him and began tickling him. Harry tried not to, but he began laughing, which made Bella start laughing.

"Oi!" A voice cut through their laughter then. The teens looked up to find all their friends and Draco standing there, looking at them. Draco looked peeved, while Hermione looked completely unruffled and Ron was turning red. "Potter I told you to keep your hands to yourself!" Draco fumed.

"Bell started it." Harry pouted. Bella grinned and nodded which only made Draco fume more. They watched Draco's face turn red then and began laughing once more.

It was good to be home.

* * *

**_And I fini this chappy! Hehe, woot, this was a nice interlude after all the nasty business ne? Well next chappy--Christmas with a special guest! Teehee! Ja ne!_**


	22. Confrontations

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_----_**

**By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) **

**^^ Arigato gozaimasu for all the lovely reviews and for all the faithful readers. I hope you're enjoying the story and I look forward to getting to the good stuff! Mwehehe!**

**Everything not made up by me belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

**

* * *

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**_Part Three_**

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**_Chapter Twenty-Two: Confrontations_**

**_---------------_**

Bella was happy.

Waking up to see a garden full of lilies on her ceiling never failed to remind her of where exactly she was.

The manor was much too big for her, Draco and Severus. But she could see the comfort she'd find in so much space. For now though, she was happy they had invited their friends.

It was Monday and Christmas was only five days away. Sunday had been spent helping each other finish decorating and then they had gone out to play in the gardens just off the main dining room. They'd come in when it had gotten too cold and had a nice hot meal. Severus had gotten through the day by staying mostly in his lab, which had a private greenhouse attached to it. He had come into dinner with a bit of his potion still on his cheek and wearing robes of a deep blue. Seeing color on their professor had once again shocked the others and made his godchildren stifle giggles behind their hands.

Bella rose and stared out her window, which allowed her to see that it was hardly past dawn. The sky was just starting to turn lighter as the sun peeked over the horizon.

She stretched and went into her bathroom, washing up before heading back into her room and into the closet, pulling out her favorite pair of jeans and the Weasley sweater she'd gotten last year. Which reminded her...

"Sev'rus!" Bella chimed as she popped into the breakfast room, knowing the man would be up by now. She still thought it to be a little on the ridiculous side to have a breafast room and two dining rooms, but she could see the appeal in it. People rose at different times and it would be a pain to trek all the way down from their rooms, through the hallways into the main building and then into the dining room every morning. Didn't make it any less silly though.

"Good morning Bella." Severus replied, smiling over the top of some potion's book he'd gotten from China just last week. "You are up much too earlier." He noted, glancing out at the fiery orb that would soon be too bright to look at.

Bella giggled at that and shook her head. "I don't know why I woke up either. I just did." Bella gave a small grin and then turned when she felt something cold and wet touching her hand. "Oh, hello Snuffles." Bella said petting his head and smiling gently. The dog wuffed and stretched before sauntering over to the door, pausing only to look at her. Bella's eyes flickered to Severus, who was deeply immersed in his book. "I'm not that hungry yet Sev. I think I'll go take Snuffles for a walk."

Severus looked at her and nodded. "Don't go to far. I haven't yet had a chance to inspect all the wards but those around the manor grounds are a bit shaky. Stay close to the main house."

"Aye aye Sev!" Bella saluted the man before giving him a hug and then walking out of the breakfast room.

_I should turn this room into my own sort of recieving room. _Bella thought as she ushered Snuffles into the unused room on the first floor and shut it with a locking charm. She set up a silencing charm and a charm to repell eavesdroppers. By the time she turned around, Sirius Black sat in one of the covered chairs.

"It's a good thing your ancestors liked to brag. Or else we really would have had to go outside and it's absolutely freezing." Sirius said as Bella plopped onto the floor by his legs and rested her head on his knees. Sirius smiled. She'd started doing that out of the blue a few days ago. When he'd asked why, she'd merely shrugged and snuggled closer.

"Have you heard from my father?" Bella asked softly.

"Yes. That's why I wanted to talk." Sirius said, smirking when Bella sat up straight and turned to face him. "He met with me yesterday night." He added and saw Bella's eyes widen.

"Is he here?" She whispered.

"Yep." Sirius nodded. "He figured it'd be best if he met with you alone first. Well not alone, I'll be going with you of course, but you get the point."

Bella sat quietly. Soft and still in a manner Sirius had seen often. It was her contemplation pose. Although she had written to him, Bella hadn't seen or spoken to her father face to face in the past six years. As far as she knew.

"I'll go and see him. But not totally alone." Bella said at last, getting up and heading to the door. Sirius hardly had enough time to transform back into Snuffles before she threw the door open and hurried to the doors. She rushed through her manor, her shoes clicking softly on the marble floor. She entered the east wing common room a few minutes later and found it was relatively empty. Harry and Hermione were awake however. Hermione was devouring a book on magical creatures in a corner armchair, while Harry was simply lounging on a rather comfortable chair.

"Harry." Bella called softly. Harry looked up at her. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Yeah sure." Harry and Bella saw Hermione hadn't moved a centimeter, shared a smile and then left her be.

Snuffles led the way outside and towards a part of the grounds they hadn't seen yet. There was a small round building. Bella despaired a little to see it had cracks in the foundation and holes through the windows. But she planned on sprucing it up.

"What's up Bell?" Harry asked, pausing when Bella stopped on the steps.

"My father's here." Bella said softly. Harry's eyes widened.

"In there?"

"Yes."

Harry saw Bella's hand shake before she clenched it in a fist.

"How do you know?"

"Sirius told me." Bella said and Harry's eyes rounded even more. But then she was moving on, not noticing her slip. "I just didn't want to see him alone." Bella added, blushing. Harry took her hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Then lets go." Harry said, giving her an encouraging smile. She nodded and went up the stairs into the surprisingly stable building.

It was dark in spite of the clear morning. The buildings windows were covered with good linen curtains and inside there was a bunch of covered furniture. A couch, an armchair and a small table were uncovered. The table held the remnants of breakfast for two, and Bella felt she knew who those two had been. She had given the elves explicit directions after all...

A bark brought her attention back to the bunch of furniture and she froze for a moment as she met silvery eyes just like her own.

The man in the chair was tall. He was clean-shaven and even though he had the same starved look as any other convict in Azkaban, he still kept his regal handsomeness that all Malfoys had. His face was sharp angles, made all the sharper by the dementors no doubt. His skin was pale, his blonde hair longer than it had been and held back with a black ribbon. He looked lordly sitting on that chair with Snuffles sitting proudly beside him. But he wasn't the wild-eyed demon from Bella's memory, and that made all the difference as her joints unfroze and she swayed the slightest bit. Harry's hand on her shoulder steadied her.

Taking a shaky breath, Bella blinked and managed a small smile. "Hello Father." She whispered into the tense air.

Lucius Malfoy smiled and relaxed from his stiff position on the armchair. His eyes flickered to Harry before returning to Bella.

"Good morning Bella." Lucius said and Bella thought his voice even sounded different now than when she'd been a child. Less frighteningly frigid and much more welcoming. Of course that could just be her imagination but she didn't think that likely. "I see you brought company." Lucius granted Harry a second look, his eyes returning to Bella. He'd seen her of course, through the eyes of his alias, but now that he didn't have to hide, things stood out more to him. Like the streaks of color in her hair, crimson today, and the way she held herself tall. The way she moved about with a grace of her own. Those imposters may have done much damage to his children, but not in the areas of decorum and etiquette.

Bella settled down on a couch, instead of flopping into it like Harry did, and she crossed her legs and placed her hands in her lap. But her hand wasn't far from her wand, which she had no doubt hidden up her sleeve.

Lucius smiled though, even given the slightly cautious stiffness in Bella's movements. She looked better than she had at school, and her face wasn't set into a cool mask of calm control, which would have made him regret telling Sirius to let her know he was there. No, it was a calm expression, one of expectation instead of controlled emotion. Much better than plain indifference or the anger he expected in spite of her letter.

"Er, I don't mean to butt in..." Harry said now, turning to Bella, "but why's he here?" He asked and Lucius had to wonder what Bella saw in the uncouth youth.

"I wrote to Father, Harry." Bella told him. Lucius saw the tension flood out of the boy's shoulders then. "Those Veracruz women kept Father under the control of that spell Voldemort had on him. He's free of it now, and me and Draco are free of those women. So I invited him home." Bella turned to smile more gently at Lucius.

"He's still a wanted escaped convict Bell." Harry pointed out.

"So's Sirius Black but that doesn't mean much now does it?" Bella asked.

Harry rubbed the back of his head and frowned. "Well if you think him wanting to kill me doesn't mean much--"

"Sirius doesn't want to kill you Harry." Bella said firmly and Harry's face became set in suspicion. Bella met his gaze without flinching and Lucius thought if he could, Potter would be trying to see into her mind.

"You've seen him, haven't you?" Harry asked softly, eyes meeting Bella's. "Black I mean."

Bella bowed her head and nodded.

"However, that is neither here nor there." Lucius interrupted before Harry could say anything else. They could discuss Black later. He had asked Sirius to bring Bella because this early because he had wanted to meet her in private for a while before letting her decide if she wanted him around. "I wanted to speak to my daughter Potter, not discuss your family."

"Black's not my family." Harry huffed immediately. Bella bit her lip, caught her father's eye and seeing his arched eyebrow, gave a small shake of her head. It was odd, because Bella was only used to speaking in such terms with Draco, who understood her smallest of gestures.

Lucius saw the wonder overtaking the guilt in Bella's gaze and smirked. "Whatever the case, I wished to speak to my child. Now if you would please be silent so that I may do so." It was a command and Harry understood it as such. Still he shut up and leaned back in the couch, eyes flickering between the two Malfoys.

"The elves have taken care of you?" Bella asked, looking at the table of food. Lucius nodded. "Did they see you?"

"I thought it might cause too much excitement, so I disguised my presence." Lucius told her, giving her another softer smile. "You've grown up so much." Lucius noted then, his deep voice becoming softer than ever. Bella smirked and quirked an eyebrow at her father.

"You couldn't expect me to remain a little girl forever." Bella told him, shrugging a bit. Lucius chuckled.

"I did not expect that, though for some reason, even though I knew better..." Lucius gave a small lift of his shoulders, not quite a shrug but close enough. Bella giggled and shook her head.

"You're just like Draco. He knows I'm only two months younger than him and yet he acts like I'm two years younger." She rolled her eyes and blew at her bangs, actions which only endeared her more to Lucius no matter if it was a common thing to do.

"It must run in the family." Harry said then, smirking when Bella turned to look at him. "That habit of seeing you as younger than you are. Merlin, I see you for your age just fine."

"I do not doubt that you do Mr. Potter." Lucius said silkily, a tone that Bella heard Draco using more and more when he wished to hide his irritation at someone. There was also a sort of smug, knowing undertone to the words though and Bella cocked an eyebrow at the blonde man. Lucius's smirk turned into a smile once more and he winked at her.

Harry was watching the two interact, his green eyes flickering from one face to the other. "It's hard to picture you as family." Harry said then, getting their attention. Lucius cocked a brow at him then, while Bella gave him a quizzical look. "Well you're pale and blonde and pointy and Bell isn't." Harry said, making Bella laugh and Lucius cover a snort.

"Bella gets her features more from Mireya than from me." Lucius smiled at Bella's nervous look then. "She was meant to stand out however. Or else she would have looked more like myself than her mother. I do not mind. I did not think you would either." Lucius challenged Harry. Harry scowled.

"I didn't say it was a bad thing!" Harry defended himself while Bella gave him a calming look.

"Father's trying to get under your skin Harry, quit taking the bait." Bella said then, casting Lucius a scolding look. "Don't be mean Father."

Lucius laughed while Harry gaped. The dark-haired boy shook his head and sighed. "Malfoys! You love causing me pain don't you?" He muttered then. Lucius's laughs subsided into chuckles.

"It was rather amusing. Though it is good to see you show more spine that I previously thought you had." Harry scowled once more while Lucius's eyes danced. Bella smiled at the scene. It was one she thought she could see repeated from time to time...

"Was the manor to your liking Bella?" Lucius asked then. Bella nodded exuberantly then. Harry laughed at that.

"It's beautiful and huge! And the solarium is absolutely wonderful. I didn't know half those blossoms even existed." Bella gushed. She blushed and ducked her head before adding, "It feels like home already. I like it a lot."

"I am glad. I want you to be comfortable and happy here." Lucius said, taking a sip of tea before continuing. "Calmouth says the Minister is weighing the possible benefits of granting me a partial pardon at the moment."

"A partial pardon?" Bella grimaced then. Harry was looking puzzled as well.

"Calmouth was going to visit with Severus today to explain it all to him. Still, since you are here I will explain. The partial pardon would grant me immunity from persecution, which in turn would allow me to voluntarily appear before the Minsitry's specialists and allow them to examine my memories and my body for any signs of a controlling presence. Considering the great hold the Dark Lord's spell held on me, there is bound to be traces of it left still, even after all these years. Mostly in my mind. Those cannot be falsified so those would be the ones the specialists would seek."

Bella nodded and turned to Harry who was still frowning in thought. "Which would mean you could prove you were really under Voldemort's control without getting sent back to Azkaban first." Harry said then, eyes narrowed pensively.

"Precisely Mr. Potter." Lucius inclined his head the smallest fraction of an inch before turning to Bella.

"And after that?" Bella asked him softly.

"If I can prove my innocence, I would like to take up the mantle of the Malfoy patriarch once more and provide a loving home for my children." Lucius said, eyes gentle as they studied the blossoming smile on Bella's face. "If Draco would acquience to returning my title. If not I would be content with merely being allowed to return here and live freely with you both."

Bella shut her eyes and sighed happily. Harry could almost see the great weight that had finally been lifted from Bella's shoulders. It seemed Lucius had passed whatever test he had unknowingly been in.

In a move that surprised Harry and Lucius, Bella got up and walked over to wrap her arms around her father's waist. Lucius sat locked in place for a moment before he moved and returned the embrace.

"I'm glad." Bella said, voice muffled by Lucius's robes. "I'm glad I was right."

Lucius looked glad as well as he shakily began petting Bella's hair.

* * *

They spent the better part of the morning in that room with Lucius, catching the man up on the last six years and the adventures of first and second year. Harry and Bella had laughed when Lucius revealed he'd been using spells and potions to masqarade as Liam Regalis. When asked how he would explain the boy's disappearance, Lucius had told them Calmouth had already sorted that out. Liam Regalis would be getting called back to the states on a matter of urgent family business and not be returning.

At lunch when asked where they'd been, the two had said they'd just been finding out how big the grounds really were. Bella had decided to wait until she'd spoken more with Lucius before telling Draco he was close to the manor. Harry and Bella both agreed that the less people who knew, the better for now. Their friends, although they knew the whole sordid affair of the imposters and Lucius, would still be uneasy with Lucius still technically an escaped convict.

Now they were alone for the moment. Bella had decided to turn the empty room off from the west wing common room into her own private gathering place. She was standing in the center and currently directing three house elves who were helping her bring in some cozier furniture. Harry turned to her and set his face in a frown. Bella looked at him sideways, lifting a shoulder as if asking what was wrong.

"You said you'd seen Black, Bella." Harry reminded her. She'd honestly forgotten about that in lieu of all the talking she and Lucius had done. Her eyes grew round now and from the corner of her eye she saw Snuffles tense.

"I have." Bella mumbled, pointing the elves to a corner were they carefully arranged the rosewood desk and highbacked chair.

"Why? When?" Harry demanded, coming to stand in front of Bella now, hands on his hips as he glared at her. Bella pouted, not used to being on the recieving end of Harry's temper. Taking a deep breath she crossed her arms and glared right back.

"The stories from the Prophet aren't true. Black didn't help Father escape from Azkaban." Bella began, her voice clipped. That tone seemed to snap Harry out of his growing tantrum because he ran a hand through his hair. "He did find out about Father though and it was because of that that he approached me when I was out on the grounds one night. Yes, he's gotten on the grounds before." Bella added when Harry's mouth popped open. She narrowed her silver gaze then. "I wouldn't put you in danger you know." She grumbled.

Harry sighed and shook his head, reaching up to put his hands on Bella's shoulders. "It's not me I'm worried about." Harry muttered. "Your dad turned out to be all right but...well...Black--"

"Sirius is just as all right as Father." Bella said, casting another glance at Snuffles. The dog appeared to be perfectly content, gnawing on its bone. However, Bella could see the twitches in his legs and paws.

"How do you know?" Harry huffed. Bella was beginning to understand why Hermione got so testy with the boy sometimes.

"Because I've been helping him out." Bella admitted. "I listened to what he had to say, decided he was telling the truth, and then decided to help him. I'm allowed to do that, aren't I?" Bella's gaze was narrowed more than before. Harry could see the storm brewing in her eyes. At the moment Bella could see Harry's eyes begin to darken with his own annoyance and anger.

"You've been helping him out?" Harry's voice was flat, but his eyes flashed like lightning.

_Green lightning_, Bella mused. "Yes I have. I've been getting him food and keeping him sheltered and making sure the Dementors never got to his hiding place." Bella's eyes jumped to Snuffles who was at her feet now, looking up at her with dark grey eyes. She knelt down and cupped his muzzle. "And Harry...you wouldn't believe what he's told me." Bella whispered, eyeing Snuffles intently.

Harry was curious in spite of himself. He sighed heavily, dropping down beside Bella and forcing her to look up at him. "Like what?" He pouted. The lightning in his eyes stopped though, so Bella took a deep breath and hoped Sirius was ready for Harry to learn the truth.

"Like he was friends with your dad." Bella said. Harry's eyes widened, his jaw slackened and hung wide open. Bella lowered her gaze to the floor as she gave him a few seconds to process that.

"No..." Harry whispered, eyes dazed and voice shocked. Bella looked up at him and nodded firmly.

"I investigated it of course. Severus was in their year at school. He told me so himself. Sirius Black was your dad's best friend." Bella told him softly, letting the words sink in. Harry shook his head but he was listening at least.

He rubbed at his scar then, a nervous habit of his that Bella hadn't seen since the very worst bits of second year. His mouth flapped a bit as he mentally tried to find something to hang on to. "What else?" Harry demanded, not looking at Bella but at the ceiling. Bella curled up and bowed her head, playing with her hair.

"They were pranksters you know." Bella said, grinning a little. "Like Fred and George. They were always together too." Bella chewed her lip, looking over at Harry then. "Sirius was your dad's best man when he married your mum." Bella cast Snuffles a quick look then rushed ahead with what she wanted to say. "He and your father were so close...that when you were born, James made him your godfather."

Harry's head whipped around violently and Bella nodded slowly, letting him take it in once again. Harry blinked a few times before mumbling, "He is?"

"Yes." Bella saw the wry twist to Harry's lips then. "What're you smirking about?" She demanded to know. Harry's sarcastic smirk became even darker.

"Oh nothing Bell. It just figures you know?" Harry chuckled darkly. "It's me after all. So it shouldn't surprise me that my godfather's a convicted murderer. I mean, after all the stuff's that I've gone through, you think I'd be used to finding out these things. It really shouldn't surprise me. I shouldn't really care either, I mean he--"

Bella snorted then, reaching over and slapping Harry upside the head. Harry shut up at once, green eyes meeting silver. Bella scowled while her arms crossed over her chest, just so she wouldn't be tempted to do that again.

"Potter, stop moping and listen up!" Bella huffed. "I'm trying to tell you something important here!" Harry blinked slowly, before his lips quivered and a smile threatened to break out on his face. Bella scowled even more seeing the quiver, then turned away from him and rolled her eyes. "Are you going to listen, or should I just Obliviate you?"

"You wouldn't do that." Harry said immediately, causing Bella to look back at him. His expression was stern, eyes alight with knowing. His words hadn't been a question, merely a statement. "I know you wouldn't Bell." Harry added, grinning. Bella sighed and nodded. She would never touch Harry's memories like that. It would hurt her to know she'd made him forget anything, even pain or sadness. She wouldn't ever mess with his memories. "Go ahead, I'll listen." Harry promised.

"You've read the Prophet just like everyone else." Bella said then. "So you know what people say Sirius did." Harry nodded, face grim as he recalled Black's death toll. "That's all a lie."

"What?"

"It's a lie. Sirius didn't kill those thirteen Muggles. It was someone else. But he couldn't prove it and the Ministry already was out for his blood because of something else they thought he did." Bella was dancing around that one secret, because she felt that one wasn't hers to tell. It would be up to Sirius. She'd already revealed his connection to Harry, she wouldn't reveal anything more.

"What're you on about?" Harry saw Bella's eyes land on Snuffles then. He reached over and touched her arm. "Bell?" The girl looked up at him, grimacing. "What is it?"

"That's not my story to tell Harry. It would be better if you heard it from Sirius himself." Bella grasped Harry's hand then, eyes beseeching. "Would you?"

"Would I what?" Harry wondered, wrapping an arm around the Slytherin. She sighed heavily.

"Would you let him talk to you?" Harry stiffened. "Just once. Just to give him a chance. Let him tell you everything and then decide what you want to do." Harry's lips twitched into a half-grin then. There she went again, giving him choices and letting him decide where he wanted his life to go. Not pushing him to do it. Not expecting him to do it. Just asking if he'd consider it. Just giving him the choice.

Who else gave him as many choices as Bella?

"He's not a crazy murderer?" Harry wanted to be sure of that part.

"No. He's very much sane. Azkaban knocked a few screws loose of course but really he's about as unaffected as Father." Yeah, like that was reassuring. Harry had seen gleams in Lucius's eyes during their visit that had rubbed him the wrong way.

"He won't try to skin me alive the minute he sees me?"

Bella snorted yet again. "No. Why the heck would he do that?"

"Well the Weasleys and the Ministry seems to think Black wants to kill me, remember?"

"Trust me Harry, it's not you he wants to kill." That far from comforted Harry. Still, Bella seemed very certain of her assumptions. He had always given her the benefit of the doubt and she'd never lead him astray.

So Harry squared his shoulders and nodded. Bella smiled, throwing her arms around him with a soft laugh. Harry blushed but returned the hug.

Snuffles woofed at them, his tail wagging joyfully.

* * *

Sirius was nervous. Really nervous. He hadn't realized he was until he'd woken up this morning. But here he was, fidgetting with the robes Bella had gotten for him. He was in Lucius's hideout. The blonde man was calmly reading his Daily Prophet, sipping on some tea and pausing only to give Sirius a glare every so often.

"Do calm yourself Black." Lucius drawled, turning the page and continuing his reading. "The boy isn't going to hex you."

"I'm not worried about him hexing me." Sirius replied, growling a little. "It's whether he'll believe me that has me so tense."

Lucius pointed his wand at Sirius and Petrified him. Sirius's anger sparkled in his eyes as Lucius continued to calmly peruse the daily news. "Black you have nothing to be worried about." Lucius murmured then. "The boy is not stupid, no matter how much he might look it. He is also one of the most stubborn Gryffindors I've seen in all my years. He can spot honesty like a hawk can spot a field mouse. Now I'm going to release the spell and you will kindly shut up." Luicus did as he promised, hearing Sirius gasp for breath. Being Petrified wasn't pleasant.

The door creaked open then. A burst of cool air came forth then Bella popped in, head done up in a mass of curls. She bounced into the room, followed by a cautious Harry. Bella perched herself on the arm of Lucius's chair, her silver eyes watchful. Harry scooted inside, his eyes on the dark haired man sitting across from him.

Sirius had that starved look just like Lucius. His face, although not gaunt, was still haunted. His grey eyes fixed steadily on Harry, which made Harry shift in discomfort. Sirius blinked and looked off to the side.

"So you came." Sirius said softly, voice rough.

Harry nodded twice, his eyes on the ground now. "Bell said you wanted to talk." Harry looked up and nodded to himself, dropping down on the first available chair. Bella got up from her father's arm and went over to stand by Harry's side.

"I do." Sirius said, eyes watching the two, as he often did. "I think you deserve the truth. Even if you choose not to believe it."

Harry nodded a third time, his hands clenched in fists. Bella put a hand on his shoulder, leaning on the back of the chair. Her presence kept Harry calm. Sirius had seen it in action more than once. Whether or not the two noticed their puppy love.

"Bella told you I am your godfather." Sirius started, watching Harry shrug. "I was James's best friend out of all of us. He and I...we did everything together. It was great. His parents were so open too. When I left my house they offered me their own home." Sirius smiled at Harry. "He was like my brother. So when my brother married the girl he'd been in love with since first year, and had a kid, they chose me to be your godfather. I was proud and happy when I first met you." Sirius chuckled. "You were so tiny. You fit just right in everybody's hands. You should have seen James's face. I never knew people could smile so big."

Even with the lingering doubts in his mind, Harry couldn't help grinning sheepishly at Sirius's words. No one had ever spoken of him when he was a baby, not unless it was in relation to something about Voldemort. The Dursleys of course never spoke of him at any age at all when they could help it.

"And then Voldemort decided to target your family." Sirius said, face falling as he recalled those terrible days. "You needed to go into hiding. So we found a way to hide you. But..." Sirius looked up at Harry then. "I as good as killed them Harry."

"What?" Harry breathed, turning to look up at Bella. Bella gave him a curt shake of her head, eyes on Sirius. "What d'you mean by that?" Harry demanded of the ex-prisoner.

Sirius sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "Have you ever heard of a Fidelius Charm?" Harry shook his head. "It's a spell that hides a secret inside a person's soul. The person who holds that secret is the Secret-Keeper. Once the spell's cast, nobody on earth can find it unless the Secret-Keeper chooses to reveal what they know. Dumbledore told Lily and James to use the Fidelius Charm." Sirius sighed. "Now James told Dumbledore he was going to use me. That's what we wanted people to believe.."

Harry could hear the 'but' in the air and so kept quiet, even though his emotions were starting to cascade wildly through his system.

"I told James that instead of really using me, why not use another friend of ours?" Harry's head perked up. "His name was Peter Pettigrew. You see Harry, we knew there was a spy in our ranks. Someone who was passing along information to Voldemort. Peter agreed to do it. He worshipped James you know." Sirius scowled then. "Ought to have seen it back then...the rat..."

"So you used Pettigrew instead of yourself." Bella spoke softly to bring Sirius out of his malicious thoughts. Sirius jerked a little then nodded.

"We put Peter in a safehouse and we'd take turns checking up on him. Then...on that night..." Sirius turned to look at Harry squarely in the eye. "I thought it was the perfect plan. Who would suspect Peter of holding such valuable information? He was a mediocre wizard, he had no talents, no fame, nothing. Surely as James's best friend, they'd target me, try and get the information from me. We never dreamed Peter would be the traitor..." Sirius lapsed into silence then, eyes shut as he let the words float off.

Harry was staring at a spot on the ground, shaking a bit. His fingers twitched in his lap while he let the words seep into his mind.

"I could have told you as much." Lucius's voice brought them out of their thoughts sharply. He merely quirked an eyebrow at the two Gryffindors before shaking his head slightly. "Black's telling the truth Potter. Remember I was under the Dark Lord's hold during that time as well. I saw that little rat too often for my liking. The Dark Lord met with him on the morning of Halloween and the Dark Lord left shortly thereafter." Lucius folded up his Prophet before looking at Sirius and Harry.

"And the Muggles?" Harry asked, turning to Sirius while shaking his head. "Everyone's told me you killed all those Muggles and Pettigrew."

Sirius barked a laugh then. "I didn't Harry." Sirius said, a cool sharpness to his words. "Peter decided to put on a show. I chased him down. I was going to kill him, I won't lie about that." Sirius bared his teeth. "But then the traitor started shouting about how I betrayed Lily and James and then with his wand behind his back he burst the street apart while transforming himself and rushing down the sewers--"

"Transformed himself?" Harry butt in. Sirius gave a start then smiled, much more gently this time.

"I'm guessing Remus hasn't told you about it. Well no wonder, all things considered..." Sirius paused to look at the teens. Bella had her hands on Harry's shoulders. The contact seemed to calm Harry, while Bella had the reassurance that she could hold Harry back in case he got angry.

"Your dad was an Animagus." Harry gasped, eyes growing round while light flooded them.

"Really?"

"Yes." Sirius was grinning now. "He could turn into a stag. We all could do it. Peter was a rat, which is how he managed to escape. Bastard even cut off his own finger to make it look convincing...." Sirius took a deep breath to steady the influx of anger. "It was something we did once a month. We went everywhere and did everything we could think of. We even made a map of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade."

"A stag..." Harry repeated, eyes still wide with this new bit of information. Then he got a shrewd look on his face. "You said we. So what were you?"

Sirius grinned widely then, eyes bright. They dimmed a little as he spoke however. "I'm afriad you'll be angry with me if I tell you."

Harry just crossed his arms and huffed. Sirius's lips twitched at the startling resemblance to James Harry had in that moment. "All right, I'll show you." Sirius got up from his seat, took out his wand, then suddenly there wasn't a tall dark-haired man anymore. There was a bear-like black dog with grey eyes. Harry's jaw dropped open, his head turning so fast it popped to look up at Bella. She smiled while walking over to kneel beside the mutt.

"Yes Harry, I've known about this for a while. About three weeks or so." Bella looked up to find Harry shaking his head.

"I need thinking time." Harry stated as Sirius shifted back into his human self. "Just...just a little." He added, looking hard at Sirius before nodding to him. Bella stood beside her father's seat now, looking down at the floor while Harry walked away. She hoped she'd done the right thing. She wanted Sirius to have a chance to get to know Harry. For both of them it was a link into the past they shared. They were a connection to the people known as James and Lily and all the happiness that brought.

"Thanks Bella." Sirius whispered as he settled into his seat. Bella looked up to find him smiling at her. "I needed that. It felt good to tell him that. Now...where's dear old Peter right?" Sirius's eyes flashed. He knew he couldn't kill Peter yet. It would have to wait. Ron and Hermione were already tense enough with each other and Crookshanks's attempts to get the rat had failed spectacularly. So he decided he'd kill Peter on the train home. Bella had already told him she could handle Ron's wrath.

"I haven't seen him since we got here. Maybe Calixto's found a few hidey holes though?" Bella wondered aloud. She then gave her father a hug and promised to return in the evening with Draco.

* * *

**_And there this chappy ends. Thanks for reading! Up next time--Christmas! And a surprise or two.... Hehe!_**


	23. Christmas and Mistletoe

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

**_----_**

**By: Emmylia (Nuali Aikyo) **

**^^ Arigato gozaimasu for all the lovely reviews and for all the faithful readers. I hope you're enjoying the story and I look forward to getting to the good stuff! Mwehehe!**

**Everything not made up by me belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

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* * *

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**_Part Three_**

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**_Chapter Twenty-Three: Christmas and Mistletoe_**

**_---------------_**

Draco frowned as he stared at the busted up facade of the small shack on the edge of the Malfoy grounds. "Is he really in there?" Draco asked.

"Yes." Bella said, going to the door and pulling it open slightly. "You can come or not. I won't hold it against you."

Draco mulled it over while Bella stood in the doorway, eyes gentle. He frowned at the careworn look in her eyes. Something had happened before this. She was hiding things again. "All he wants is to talk?"

Bella nodded firmly, smiling just the same. Draco took a deep breath and gulped, then followed Bella into the small building.

They found Lucius enjoying a simple dinner, Snuffles on the seat beside him, head in his paws. The tall blonde paused in his meal to smile welcomingly at his first born.

"Bella. Draco."

"Hello Father." Bella replied, walking over to another empty chair and dropping down in it. Draco walked over and stood behind her, his hands clamping down on the back of the chair. Lucius met his eye and Draco set his jaw. He wasn't sure how to feel about Lucius yet. Bella knew much more than he did. She had met with him more and spoken more, thus gaining a stronger hold of her feelings towards their sire. Lucius smirked then, the expression so familiar that Draco was startled by it.

"How is your Mr. Potter?" Lucius asked into the silence. Bella sighed, shaking her head. Draco latched onto this sign.

"Now what did Potter do?" He asked his sister, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"It wasn't anything he did Draco." Bella looked up at him. "More like something I did." She bit her lip, eyes on the floor. "I kept secrets from him...secrets that I probably shouldn't have." Bella sighed again, leaning back in her seat. "I didn't mean to hurt his feelings. I thought he'd be happy to learn the truth."

Snorting at Potter, who Draco felt he gave more than the proper amount of leniency to, the blonde leaned down to wrap his arms around Bella's shoulders. "Well whatever you told him, he'll come around. He always does when it comes to you." Draco rolled his eyes. Sometimes he figured it would just be easier for the entire world if Potter admitted he loved Bella. Then Draco would have a great excuse to constantly harrass him. Still, he couldn't pin all the blame on Potter. Bella was utterly oblivious too.

"Potter is very inclined to forgiving you." Lucius said then, sipping at the wine and handing Snuffles a bread roll. Bella chuckled then, shaking her head.

"Is it just me or does the entire world see something I don't?" She asked then, making Draco laugh. "It sure sounds like you do."

"We see only what is there and nothing more." Lucius replied, eyes flashing with mischief. Draco's breath caught, because that was the same way Bella's eyes flashed when she was mischievous. Those silver eyes lifted from Bella's to his, a finely sculpted eyebrow rising in question. "Do you not agree Draco?"

The teen shut his eyes for a moment. This whole thing was so bizzare. His ex-possessed father sitting here, enjoying dinner, talking to them so calmly...

"He has a point Bella." Draco said after a pause. "It's plain to us what Potter feels. Why you both are so bent on ignoring it is beyond me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Bella huffed as her hand came up and whacked Draco on the head. He stopped hugging her to rub at the spot while Lucius grinned.

"I see you still abuse Draco in much the same manner." Both teens quirked their brows at their father who chuckled. "When you were infants, she was always pulling on your fingers or tugging at your hair, biting or rolling over you." Lucius's eyes glittered with a possessive sort of light then. Draco could understand that expression. It was how he felt in regards to his family. Malfoys were possessive of their loved ones.

Lucius loved them.

The sudden revelation made Draco's eyes widen even as Bella laughed.

"Really? Wow, that's pretty mean of me."

Lucius reached over to pat her shoulder, shaking his head. "You were a rambunctious infant. I can see you two are very close."

Bella turned to look up at Draco, her face a mask of sunny happiness. Draco's own face shifted to match hers.

"Yep! Draco's been a very good big brother." Bella told Lucius, giggling softly. "He's too good sometimes. It makes it very hard for me to follow the rules when I know he'll let me break them."

"Oh?" Lucius asked, looking up at his son then.

Draco just smirked in the Malfoy way, adding a shrug for more pronounced arrogance. "We are Malfoys. As such we have special privileges. Who can fault me for allowing Bella to exercise her power?"

Lucius laughed then. Not a harsh bark of laughter or anything as undignified, but a deep warming laugh. A laugh Draco did not remember but knew was familiar.

"I am glad to see you weren't so corrupted by those women." Lucius said then, eyes narrowing upon mention of them. Draco's eyes narrowed as well while Bella's shut completely.

"They were good mothers." Bella admitted softly. "But...they choose to lie to us our entire lives. They chose to dishonor our mothers and keep us from the truth. They even concealed what they knew about your condition Father." Her eyes opened and they were molten steel. "I hope they rot." She hissed.

Lucius and Draco nodded at the same time, causing Bella to blink. She snickered then, while Draco rolled his eyes and Lucius looked on indulgently.

"It's like watching clones." Bella commented then, eyes going from Lucius to Draco and back. "Kinda creepy actually."

Draco flicked the side of her head before turning to Lucius. He frowned thoughtfully before speaking.

"I need time to adjust. I don't even know how Bella managed to take to you so quickly. However, considering she did do it, I must give you a chance based on that alone." Draco looked down at the table then. "It will take time."

Lucius smiled at Bella who smiled back. "We have the rest of our long lives ahead of us Draco. I am certain that will be time enough."

Draco nodded, looking up with a smile of his own. No matter what his feelings at the moment, he liked the idea of having Lucius around for the rest of his life. Even if Draco could never reconcile himself to calling him Father...it was still a nice thought.

* * *

Christmas Eve dawned bright and cold. Bella was up bright and earlier. Harry found her putting some final touches to the tree in the main hall's recieving room.

_Why the heck is it called that anyway? _Harry wondered before another random thought intruded in his mind. _Aunt Petunia would die for a recieving room. _

Bella was humming a cheerful tune, every now and thing singing a phrase. Harry leaned against the entryway, smiling softly. Watching Bella was something Harry liked to indulge in. He'd never admit to anyone how much he actually did it. It would be embarrassing if anyone, especially Bella, figured it out.

But he did it, which afforded him a clearer understanding of Bella and her ways. For instance, the way she was cocking her head slightly to the left and tapping her wand against her thigh meant she was contemplating a trivial matter. If she'd put her chin on her hand and tapped her wand against her leg, she would be thinking of a more serious matter.

Now she was playing with the bold streak of crimson that ran in her midnight hair. She was twisting it, which meant she'd gone from thinking of something silly to something more personal. She shifted to the left, which suggested it was about her friends instead of about her family.

She half turned and her silvery eyes were mercury, a further indicator that she was lost in deeper thoughts. Her teeth chewed slowly on her bottom lip. If she kept it up she'd leave a bruise.

"Bell." Harry called, making her jump. Her eyes flickered up to him and she smiled, face clearing of her heavy thoughts.

"Good morning Harry." Bella said, walking over to him and turning back to the tree. "The angel looks wonky, doesn't it?"

Looking at the tree, Harry could see nothing wrong with the decorations. "It looks alright to me." He turned to his friend with a smile. "You did a good job with all the decorations Bell. It looks as brilliant as Hogwarts in here."

Bella looked over her shoulder at him, a sweet expression on her pretty face. _She always looks pretty doesn't she? _

_And there I go again. _Harry thought to himself while Bella turned back to cast a critical eye around her new home. _Thinking things about Bell that I never think about Hermione or Ginny or any girl at all. What's the matter with me?_

"So I take it you don't hate me?" Bella's voice broke his inner monologue and made his head snap up painfully. He ignored the twinge of pain though.

"Hate you? I couldn't ever hate you Bell!" Harry watched a faint pink blush appear on Bell's cheeks, making him shake his head more. "It was just...well...all I've heard about Black is that he wanted me dead and that his was a killer. Then I find out that he doesn't want me dead, that he's innocent, and that he's my godfather on top of all that! It was just so weird and too much to take in."

Bella smiled then, making Harry relax. "So you're feeling better now?"

"Yeah. I'm not really ready to talk to him alone though..." Harry said. Bella put a hand on his shoulder and smiled in understanding.

"I'm not going anywhere. You can always count on me." She told him, and Harry had a feeling she was talking about more than just the immediate future.

And it made him happy.

* * *

"Mum?" Ron choked on his butterbeer and gaped at his parents, younger sister and older brothers.

"Surprise Ron!" Bella cheered, walking over to Molly to greet her with a hug. "I invited your family for Christmas."

Ron continued to gape which made everyone else laugh. Bella had to admit, seeing both her Slytherin and Gryffindor friends getting along was just amazing.

"Why'd you do that?" Ron asked earning a smack from his mother. Bella just grinned.

"I like your family." She answered, her eyes meeting Ginny's. The girl was wearing the barrette she'd stolen last year, and wearing second-hand robes. Bella smirked at her, then looked away, making sure to show off the shiny golden butterflies in her hair which had been given to her by Lucius that afternoon.

She and Ginny could never be friends. Not even if the girl admitted she'd stolen from Bella and begged for forgiveness. Not even if Bella could put aside the theft and the girl's attitude. There would be one thing that would constantly cause friction between them no matter what. And he was currently greeting Mr. and Mrs. Weasley with a bright green-eyed gaze.

"How have you been Harry dear?" Molly asked.

"All right. It's been great being here." Harry assured the plump woman. Bella hid her smile and got up to settle down beside Draco who was watching Ginny with narrowed eyes.

_"Calm down Draco." _Bella said softly in Spanish. She hadn't spoken the other language in many weeks. It had been too painful for her frazzled state of mind. But she was getting over the betrayal and she felt speaking her mother's native tongue would be as good a way of honoring her as any while her remains were still lost in the world.

_"It's hard to calm down when she's in the same room." _Draco told her with a scoff. _"Can't I push her off a cliff or something?" _

_"If you can get her near the cliff." _Bella muttered before they laughed and shook their heads.

"So where will you be putting them?" Draco asked, thinking of the rooms in the east wing and hoping to all the gods that Bella wouldn't be putting them in their wing.

"Well there's still plenty of empty rooms in the east wing. I have already had the elves set up the room adjacent to the common room for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. That leave three empty rooms on the third floor. So if the twins don't mind sharing a room, then it works out perfectly." Bella explained.

"Of course we don't mind." The twins answered making Bella grin at them.

"Well then that's all settled. Now, how about lunch hmm?" Bella asked, getting up and leading them all into the dining hall.

Harry grinned at the looks on the Weasley's faces when they entered. Bella had gone out of her way to make every inch of the manor look absolutely spectacular. He gave her hand a pat before settling down beside Hermione and Ron.

Once everyone was seated the house-elves appeared in brand new towel-togas bearing trays upon trays of deliciously warm and filling foods.

A bark had Bella turning to find Snuffles entering the room along with a sleek white leopard.

"Bloody hell!" Ron shouted upon the arrival of the leopard. Bella looked over at Draco before looking back at the leopard. They saw the grey eyes then and relaxed.

"Calm down Ron. It's just Ange." Bella said, waving a hand at the redhead while gently patting the leopard's head.

"Ange?" Hermione asked, looking at the leopard.

"He was one of the animals left on the grounds when our father was taken to Azkaban." Draco explained as Snuffles stole some of his steak. Flicking the dog on the nose, Draco watched Snuffles scuttle under Bella's chair. The dog had the nerve to stick it's tongue out at him. Draco narrowed his gaze at it. He knew exactly who that dog was too, which only heightened his annoyance.

"He was hiding out on the grounds but I guess Snuffles got him to come inside." Bella explained when Hermione continued to look shrewd. That cleared the girl's face though and she continued into her lunch.

They spent the hour just talking, as they had before, but Draco noticed the slight tension in Bella's frame. She kept flickering her eyes to where Ginny sat and she didn't seem as happy as before. But she sure faked it well. No one but him noticed anything was different at all.

* * *

"You could have not invited them." Draco told Bella while they sat in Bella's private study an hour later. The Weasleys were being given the tour while Bella had invented an excuse about needing to see to a few things in the greenhouse. So she'd disappeared in here, with Draco, Sirius and Lucius.

"That is true Bella." Lucius said now, staring at Bella and wondering how he could have missed the line of tension marring her features. "If they irk you so much."

"It's Ginevra who irks me." Bella said now. "The Weasleys are perfectly good people...with the exception of a bad egg."

"Make that two bad eggs." Draco huffed. Bella shook her head.

"It's Ginny I must watch out for. She is the only girl, the baby of her family, and whether Mrs. Weasley ever admits to it or not, her mother's favorite. Don't get me wrong, Mrs. Weasley loves all her children, but Ginny holds a special place and a special sway over her mother. She could be the snake in the garden that makes the Weasleys hate me for eternity." Bella sighed heavily, shaking her head before looking up at Sirius and Lucius with a sheepish grin. "I must sound like such an idiot."

"You do not sound like an idiot." Lucius replied, walking over and putting his hands on Bella's shoulders. "You sound like a Malfoy." He added, making both Draco and Bella chuckle.

"You mean assessing the enemy and all that whatnot is what we do?" Bella questioned making Lucius smirk and nod.

"Of course. Otherwise, we would have become as common as those Weasleys and the Patils."

"Hey now, the Patils are fine." Bella defended. Draco snorted.

"Padma maybe. She's at least a Ravenclaw. But Parvati is a Gryffindor and a complete ninny on top of that." Draco reasoned, which made Lucius and Sirius laugh.

"Well she is a ninny but being a Gryffindor has nothing to do with that. Look at Hermione, she's brilliant and a lion."

There came a knock at the door and it swung open to reveal Severus standing there. Bella and Draco both felt the color drain out of their faces. Severus noticed of course and rushed up to them. "What? What is the matter?"

The young Malfoys turned only to find Ange the snow leopard and Snuffles the dog sitting upon a couch, happily munching on bones the house-elves had given them.

"Oh nothing, we were just insulting people and didn't expect you to pop up Sev'rus." Bella explained, putting a hand to her chest while laughing. Severus cocked an eyebrow at them before chuckling.

"I see. Did you both forget the west wing is unaccessible to anyone who is not considered family?"

"Well seeing as Bella has started adopting Gryffindors, you can't fault us for being worried." Draco replied making Bella push him onto the ground. "Hey!"

Bella laughed as she dashed out of the room, Draco following behind. Severus watched them with an amused eye while the two Animagus wizards silently shared a chuckle at the near miss. They'd have to be more careful though.

* * *

The rest of Christmas Eve was spent with everyone in the private sitting room. With the doors to the Solarium open, warm fragrant air mingled with the warmth of the fireplace and the smells of Christmas snacks and drinks. Even Severus joined them, dressed like a Muggle once more which made his Slytherin students snicker until he gave them his best evil eye.

It wasn't like other Christmases where Draco and Bella would find themselves running around with other children while adults waltzed all around them in the beautiful ballroom of Black Manor. But there was a certain charm to being in this cozy room, with their father (disguised as he was) beside them and their friends around them. In fact, Bella couldn't remember a time when she felt more happier.

Presents were piled up under the grand tree which took up most of the eastern wall. It glittered with fairies and enchanted ornaments. In the middle of the tree sat an ornament that looked quite rough compared to the other decorations. It was a homemade star, hung on a faded ribbon Bella had found in one of her drawers.

Harry leaned over and asked Bella about it softly, so as not to distract from the heated argument going on about Quidditch.

"It wasn't really my mother's tradition," Bella whispered back, "but it's tradition nonetheless."

Harry put his hand over Bella's then, while the girl shut her eyes and sighed wistfully. He couldn't begin to understand what Bella must be feeling, under all the holiday cheer and her own cheerful mask. To have a parent, then lose them, no matter what the circumstances...it had to be rough. Even if she said it wasn't.

"I'll be all right." She added then, seeing the look on Harry's face and reading it perfectly. "Don't worry about me Harry. I'll be fine. Maybe not for a while but... I have my father back. I have Draco and Severus and you and all these other wonderful people. So it might take me a while...but really, I'll be fine."

Harry nodded, keeping his hand on Bella's as he too got dragged into the Quidditch argument. Bella smiled, chiming in when asked, but otherwise sat perfectly content in happy silence.

* * *

"It's Christmas!" Bella shouted, running into the third floor of the east wing and banging on every door. "It's Christmas! Wake up, wake up! It's Christmas you lazy bums! Get up!"

She stood by the stairs and waited, grinning as one by one the doors opened to reveal half-asleep teenagers in their bedclothes. "Come on then! Get washed up and get your bums downstairs!" She turned and ran then, rushing into the private sitting room and plopping down beside the tree, filled with jitters. She loved Christmas, aside from all the goodwill and loveliness in the season, there were presents to be had.

Within forty minutes or so her guests trickled in, grumbling about the time or wondering what they were going to be getting.

Soon enough the room was littered with wrapping paper and the happy shouts of the teenagers as they put on new clothes and played with new magical toys.

"Oh here's another for Harry!" Bella called over the din. Harry hurried over from his own little pile and took the slim package into his hands. Bella winked at him, making him curious as he looked for a signature or something to reveal the sender of the gift. Finding nothing on the outside, Harry set the package on a coffee table and pulled it open.

All the boys plus Ginny gasped as they stared at the magnificent broom laying on the parchment wrapping.

"Is that what I think it is?" Blaise wondered, hand reaching over to hover above the broomstick.

"No way..." Ron and his twin brothers breathed at the same time. "It costs a fortune..." Ron added, his hand also hovering near the broomstick.

Harry was just as enthralled. He let his eyes run over the golden letters, down the handle, all the way to the ends of the tail end.

Looking at Bella he saw the girl tip her head to the side where Snuffles was sitting up straight as a board, his grey eyes wide as they watched him. Harry felt his lips twitch into a smile as he picked up the broom and let it go. It hung suspended at the perfect height and seemed to quiver with the need to be ridden.

"Blimey who sent you that?" Crabbe wondered aloud now. There was a pause then eight pairs of hands were tearing into the wrappings, finding nothing.

"Who'd send you something so expensive and then not tell you?" Goyle asked, frowning at the wrappings that now littered the ground.

"Harry dear." Molly was standing now, looking very white in the face. "Perhaps you ought to let Professor Snape have a look at it before you ride it."

"There won't be any need Mrs. Weasley." Bella's cool tone had them all blinking at her. "He's already done it. I made sure to look over every single one of the presents marked to Harry and Severus didn't detect a thing."

Harry's lips quirked at her insulted tone. He knew it wasn't Mrs. Weasley's fault, she didn't know about Bella's insane need to protect everyone after all. Aside from that, they didn't know about Sirius either...

"But...oh...well then..." Molly said, settling down with a slight flush. Bella caught Ron giving her a hard look and jutted her chin out.

Tension was flooding the air so then Draco decided it was his turn to break it. "How about going down to the pitch and giving it a workout Potter?" He suggested.

The idea dispelled any growing emotions and they all rushed to get on warm clothes before hurrying down to the very north-western point where a small but still impressive pitch stood, decked out in the colors of Slytherin of course.

Harry jumped onto the Firebolt and with the slightest touch he was sent spiraling up into the sky.

He stayed up until people began shouting at him then he let each of them take it for a test run.

"We'll never win another Quidditch Cup." Bella said when had returned from his trip and handed the broomstick back to Harry. All the Slytherins stopped chattering while Ron, Fred, George and Ginny burst into laughter. Severus's face became fixed in a placid mask which showed Bella he hadn't thought of that yet. "Oh don't tell me you didn't think about that yet!" Bella chided her housemates who muttered and kicked the snow. Bella laughed then as well. "Well Harry was already the superior Seeker, no offense Draco."

Draco snorted violently, eyes narrowing on the Firebolt he'd just ridden before jumping to Harry's wide grin of glee.

"Not to mention once Wood gets a load of the broomstick he'll be sent into a raving mania fueled with even more dreams of grandeur." Bella added, while Harry doubled over at the looks on the Slytherins faces.

Putting his arm around Bella he began to walk back towards the manor, still laughing brightly. Bella blushed a little but didn't move out from under his arm.

"You sure you weren't supposed to be a Gryffindor Bell?" Harry asked her, totally oblivious to the people following behind them.

"Absolutely. I wouldn't last two seconds being goody-goody all the time." Bella replied. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I am not goody-goody."

"You sure about that?"

"Yes. You're too good to be a slimey snake anyway so what're you teasing me for?"

"I am just good enough and not a bit more."

"Pft, says the girl who followed me into the Chamber."

"That's more a proof of loyalty than goodness."

"Whatever you say Bell."

"I will push you into that snow drift Potter, don't think I won't."

Meanwhile behind them, Molly Weasley was laughing softly. "Ah remember those days?" She asked her husband who chuckled and nodded.

"What days?" Ginny asked her parents while her eyes strayed to the two oblivious teenagers.

"Your father and I were just like Harry and Bella before we started dating. Completely oblivious." Molly said with a wave towards the young couple. Draco make a choking sound before composing himself.

"It'll be a cold, snowy day in Hell before I let my sister date Potter." He assured them all.

Hermione surprised everyone by giving a loud, disbelieving laugh. "It'll be a cold snowy day in Hell before Bella let's you stop her from doing something she wants." Hermione told the blonde who then spluttered while Hermione returned her attention to the new arithmancy book Bella had given her for Christmas.

"Granger has a point." Blaise said then, tipping his head in Hermione's direction. "You can't stop Bella from getting what she wants."

Draco huffed but didn't try to argue. It was true. Bella was just that way. If she ended up wanting to date Potter then there was very little Draco could do to stop her from doing so.

And anyways, they didn't look half-bad together if he were honest with himself.

* * *

"Today was great." Harry said while he and Bella sat in a corner of the Solarium, near a plant that Harry had forgotten the name of, but was bred to give off warm jets of steam. The warm steam helped the orchids planted nearby grow perfectly. The Weasleys had left just a few minutes ago. Ron was challenging Blaise to a chess game, Crabbe and Goyle were finishing up homework, Draco and Hermione were having an argument about house-elves and their roles in wizarding society. Bella had slipped into the Solarium to be alone, but of course Harry couldn't let her be broody.

"Yeah it was huh?" Bella asked, drawing designs in the purple smoke being released by a tall fern-like flowering bush. "Mrs. Weasley invited me to the Burrow this summer too."

"Really? Cool." Harry leaned back in his chair, which let him view the stars through the glass above his head. "Are you going to go?"

"Probably not." Bella said which made Harry sit up and look at her. She was curled up under a quilt with her head bowed and her legs hugged to her chest.

"Why not?"

Bella shook her head, keeping her eyes on the smoking bush. "Well I was planning on renovating the manor a bit over the summer and spending time with Father." Bella finally said, which let Harry know it was something she'd just thought up now.

"Do you not like the Weasleys that much Bell?"

"I like them." Bella huffed, annoyed that Harry wouldn't just let it lie. But then again, that was another trait she admired in Harry. He kept prying until he was sure his friends were fine...or until they blew him off.

"But?" Harry prodded, making Bella's affection simmer into annoyance again.

"But...well..."

There was silence, in which Harry heard some frogs croaking in the hidden pond he had yet to find withing the maze of the Solarium. Then Harry shifted so that he was sitting nearer to Bella. "You can tell me Bell." He promised, making Bella mentally grimace. Honestly this boy was such a Gryffindor sometimes!

"I don't like Ginny so much." Bella blurted out. She was glad she'd kept her eyes on the bush now.

"Why not?" Harry wondered, leaning over more to try and get a look at Bella's face.

"We just don't get along." Bella huffed.

"Did she say something mean to you?" Harry asked, leaning to the right and trying to peer through Bella's curtain of gold-streaked hair.

"Not really... Honestly it's a mutual dislike." Bella admitted, figuring that Harry would forgive her if he was really her friend. "I don't like her. She doesn't like me. And I think we're perfectly content to mutually dislike each other."

Harry laughed which wasn't what Bella was expecting. She finally looked up, only to blush when she saw that Harry was really way too close. Harry's laughter died away too and he seemed to catch his breath.

They stayed like that for a few moments until Harry shifted and turned his face away. Bella saw the blush on his cheeks and felt her own heated face before bowing her head.

"She's not exactly a saint you know." Bella muttered, picking at the quilt. "Ginny I mean. Don't be fooled or swayed by everything she says." Harry turned to find Bella giving him a pleading look. "I don't want to lose you as a friend just because of some lie Ginny's made up. I don't think for a second she'll ever stop lying to try and get me to lose all of your friendships."

"But why would Ginny do that?" Harry asked, afraid to speak above a murmur. Something weird had happened just now. He didn't know what it was but it was there and filling his every breath at the moment.

Bella looked at him with one of the most serious expressions he'd ever seen her wearing. "Because Ginny hates me Harry. And as we get older you'll understand why. I won't tell you, because I'm pretty sure someday Ginny will do that on her own." Bella clamped her lips shut then and looked away. "Just promise me that if you ever stop being my friend, it'll be because of something I did and not something Ginny said."

"I doubt that'll ever happen Bell." Seeing the stubborn light entering those mercury eyes though made Harry add, "But I promise. I'll only stop being your friend if you do something I can't forgive. Okay?" Bella relaxed and nodded. "Now stop looking so sad. It's still Christmas." The Slytherin girl smiled and after that they spent a few more hours talking about other topics, things that didn't make Harry's heart beat speed up or his stomach give a weird flip.

* * *

_I swear I didn't hang up this much mistletoe. _Bella though to herself as she wandered through the halls the day before they were set to return to Hogwarts. She had decided to clean up the decorations in the ballroom and was surprised to see so many bunches of mistletoe. _Where did all these come from anyway? _She wondered as she opened yet another small box and began packing the bunches away.

"There you are!"

Turning Bella smiled and spotted Harry, face flushed from the cold air still. He'd been outside with the boys playing a game of Quidditch. Hermione was hidden in the bowels of the library and so Bella had decided to leave the girl be. She'd been avoiding Harry too, but only because she was afraid that whatever magical element had filled that night in the Solarium would have lost it's effect on Harry by now. She couldn't name it either, but something odd had been around them that night. Something she missed even if she refused to say it.

"What're you doing all by yourself?" Harry demanded, plopping down on a pile of boxes filled with streamers and magical decorations.

"Just thinking." Bella replied, turning back to the remaining four rows of mistletoe. "And wondering where in the name of Merlin the elves got so much mistletoe." She added with a laugh. Harry looked into the open boxes and laughed as well.

"Well maybe they were being sneaky and trying to get people in trouble." Harry suggested which only made Bella laugh more.

"I just had an image of Ron and Hermione being caught under one of these." Bella grinned and waved one of the bunches. Harry snickered as he watched Bella continue her work.

"Maybe they should have. They've had another row again. Crookshanks tried to grab Scabbers this morning." Harry explained shaking his head.

"Crookshanks is a cat. It's in their nature. Calixto does the same thing. If he sees a small animal then he'll chase after it. Especially if it's hurt somehow. Scabbers doesn't look so good, so no wonder Crookshanks is trying to grab the little rodent." Bella stopped herself there, hearing the growing note of disgust filling her words. No need for Harry to know that bit of information just yet. He'd barely gotten used to Sirius. The teenager had spoken with his godfathre twice since Christmas, and they'd learned much but not enough. Bella planned on having them talk more in the Grotto when they returned to school.

"Yeah well you know Ron." Harry said, watching as Bella levitated another bunch into the box. "They really did put up a lot huh?" He asked picking up a bunch and smiling at it. He'd never seen mistletoe like this before. Maybe it was just the influence of all the magical decorations but it looked much nicer than the kind Aunt Petunia put up.

"Father is going to be staying here." Bella said then. "Sirius wanted me to ask if you wanted him to stay here too or if you'd like him to come back to Hogwarts with us."

Harry's brow furrowed and Bella continued with her task, letting him ponder it.

"He ought to come. If he wants to." Harry said at last. Bella gave him a smile and levitated the last mistletoe bunch down from the ceiling.

"There, that's the last of it." Harry looked up at her then starting snickering. Bella cocked and eyebrow and he stood up to pull off a bit of mistletoe that had fallen on her head.

And then they realized what exactly Harry was holding over their heads.

Blushing Bella looked down at her feet and made to move away when suddenly she saw Harry lean in.

His lips were soft on her cheek and it was over in a second but it still left her flushed and giggling. Harry grinned sheepishly, rubbing at his nose and fidgetting with his glasses.

Bella packed away the mistletoe and then took Harry's hand, leading him downstairs for lunch.

* * *

**_End chappy! ^^ Wasn't it sweet!? _**


	24. Crush and Break

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

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**^^ Arigato for all the lovely reviews and for all the faithful readers. I hope you're enjoying the story and I look forward to giving you the very best!**

**Everything not made up by me belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

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* * *

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_**Part Three**_

_**----**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Four: Crush and Break**_

_**---------------**_

_You would expect me to be doing a tango or something considering all the battering rams in my stomach_. Bella thought as she stared out of the train's window. Harry and the Gyrffindors had settled in their own compartment while she had opted to take a walk with Snuffles.

Now she stood in a little niche and stared out the window at the scenery passing by. Which meant she was allowed to think.

Harry had kissed her. It had been cute and sweet and she'd felt over the moon for hours. It still made her giggle when she thought about it. But of course, once the butterflies had stopped doing the tango in her tummy she'd settled down and started to think.

Thinking led to wondering and wondering led to a jolting thought.

She liked Harry Potter.

Yep. She did. She might have known before but it hadn't really registered. Now it did. She blushed now and hoped no one walking by would notice it. She dropped her head to the glass, hoping it would cool her blush. Really now, it wasn't such a big idea! It's not like anyone would be surprised by it!

And that's why she was blushing. Because she hadn't seen it till he kissed her cheek. She hadn't even thought it. But apparently everyone else had already known this! Gah!

_How did I miss that? _Bella thought while shaking her head.

"You okay Bell?"

With a squeak Bella whirled around to find none other than Harry himself standing there, looking at her with amusement and concern.

"Yeah I'm fine." Bella replied with a wave of her hand. Harry was about to let it slide when he noticed her flushed expression.

"Then why are you blushing?" He demanded to know. Bella pouted then, poking him playfully in the chest.

"Oh no reason, none at all now shush!" She grinned which made Harry grin as well. _See you're freaking out over nothing. _Bella chided herself as she and Harry shared a laugh.

"Well come on then. Hermione found something in one of those books you loaned her and Ron can't figure it out." He took her hand--_When did that become so easy?_--and led her down the train into his compartment where Hermione immediately dragged Bella down next to her.

Snuffle perched himself next to Harry, giving a surprised start when Harry pat his head. Harry gave him a smile then turned back to paying attention to Bella explaining the passage in the book, keeping his hand on his godfather's shoulder.

Snuffles settled down in peace, snickering mentally at the way Harry kept staring at Bella and how Bella kept peeking up at Harry.

_They're in love. _Sirius thought with a laugh.

* * *

"A Firebolt." Oliver Wood said worshipfully that evening while Ron, Harry and Hermione had recounted their stay at the infamous Malfoy Manor to the eager Gryffindors.

"Yeah. It's amazing." Ron said as he dreamily recalled his turn on the broomstick.

"It's like there's nothing there but you." Harry added, holding out a turkey leg and smiling at Snuffles. Snuffles barked happily then took his meal with gusto. Oliver snapped out of his visions of glory and peeked at the dog sitting next to Harry.

"Hey isn't that Bella's dog?" Oliver asked, reaching over to ruffle the dog's fur.

"Yeah." Harry smiled as a faint blush dusted his cheeks. "He kinda got attached to me over the holidays."

Oliver grinned at Harry then and Harry felt his blush darken for some reason. "What?" he demanded when Angelina and Katie sighed like happy doves.

"Aw it's just cute." Fred said then, reaching over to ruffle Harry's hair.

"Seeing you and Bella together." George added with a grin of his own.

"Knock it off." Harry demanded, taking a playful swing at the twins before returning to his steak.

There was a great swell of laughter then and they turned to find the source.

Bella was standing at the Slytherin table, wand out, grinning at Pansy who had her hair changed lime green and twisted into tight curls and her skin was streaked white and red like a candycane.

"Professor!" Pansy shrieked as she desperately tried every spell she could think of to get her skin and hair back to normal. Bella calmly settled back down to dinner and took a sip of her pumpkin juice. Harry grinned when her eyes found his and she smiled back.

"Miss Parkinson, control yourself." Severus said over the laughter. "What did Miss Parkinson do to provoke you Miss Malfoy?" He asked while pulling out his wand. The laughs died down as they waited for Bella's answer.

"She was insulting my friends Professor." Bella replied with a nonchalant shrug. "I feel I was perfectly justified."

"Of course you would." Pansy sneered while Severus was desperately trying not to laugh. Barely back two hours and she was already causing mayhem. Severus allowed himself a quick glance in her direction to see her calmly petting Calixto now.

"Be that as it may, five points from Slytherin Bella." Severus said. Bella just smiled. They both knew she'd make triple that come classes tomorrow.

"Only five points!?" Pansy demanded, but she clamped up when Severus gave her his "I am not amused" expression.

"Bella, kindly reverse your spells." He asked then. Bella looked a second away from saying no before she whipped out her wand, undid the spells then rose and left the Slytherin table. Harry chuckled and got up as well.

Just as he was passing the Slytherin table he heard Pansy sulkily saying to Millicent Bulstrode, "See, told you she was going out with Potter."

Perplexed he hurried down into the dungeons and found his way to the Grotto's opening. He said the password and strode in, getting a bark from Snuffles when he nearly slipped on the slick stones.

In the lavishly decorated room--the house-elves have been busy while they were gone--Harry found Bella on a thick carpet, her eyes staring up at the lake bottom.

"So what did she say now?" Harry asked, knowing how often Pansy and Bella quarreled. Bella shook her head but Harry wasn't buying that.

"Come on now, tell us." Sirius said, back in wizard form and lounging on a couch. Bella turned pink.

"It was so silly." She said then, twisting her robes in her hands. Harry rolled his eyes.

"It's always silly so tell us anyway." Bella gave him a playful smack on the arm which he returned. They glared at each other before Bella flopped over.

"She kept saying stuff like it would take weeks for Malfoy Manor to lose the Mudblood stench and that all the utensils you used would need to be thrown out." Bella rolled her eyes. "Pansy seemed to think that just because me and Draco have decided to take on the Malfoy title that we'd suddenly become blood purists or something. The twit. She was actually trying to be nice to me before that, making hints about how I should invite her to my birthday party this summer." Bella sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Wow, really? I didn't think Parkinson was _that _stupid. She's supposed to be a Slytherin after all." Harry replied. Sirius stayed quiet, not minding the fact that he was being ignored. He found it quite amusing actually.

Bella snorted and smiled at Harry finally. "Harry, you of all people oughta know that your House doesn't define you. I mean look at you. You have your Slytherin moments too." Harry cocked an eyebrow and made Bella laugh. He just looked so much like Draco in that second. "See what I mean?"

"Yeah I guess." Harry grinned then. "I don't know why Snape bothered taking points from you though, since you just earn them back and then some."

"Sev has to keep up appearances." Bella replied, shutting her eyes. There was silence then, while Harry watched Bella and Bella relaxed into the plush carpetting.

Sirius remained quiet, watching the youngsters. _Well she might be Slytherin, but damn if they don't look cute together. _The Animagus thought while he silently slipped out of the Grotto. _You'd like her a lot Prongs. _

* * *

The days passed by much easier now. Harry knew there was no more danger from Sirius Black so he relaxed. Bella had no more secrets to hide so she returned to her bubbly Slytherin self. It was easy to fall into the peacefulness. More importantly, peacefulness meant they could work on much more important things.

"Eight o'clock tonight." Harry replied as he told Bella about his appointment with Professor Lupin that night. It would be odd seeing the professor outside of class, with all that Sirius had told them about the man.

"I wouldn't mind that." Bella said then, watching Harry as they took a walk around the lake. It was a cold January day still but the two had been restless and had decided to skip lunch and go for a walk. Their classes had been keeping them busy and apart from each other all week. "I hope I never ever have to face another Dementor ever again." Harry watched Bella shudder and felt a swell of sympathy. Her life had been just as hard as his own. He found it funny in a morbid way that both of them had been lied to about their parents.

"Well....I could teach you." Harry said then, inspiration striking like a thunder clap. Bella looked at him curiously while Harry's face brightened. "Yeah! I could teach you whatever it is Lupin's gonna teach me! That why you won't have to worry about meeting a Dementor either!" It was such a brilliant solution that Harry mentally pat himself on the back.

Bella's own face had lit up and she was clapping happily now. "Yeah! That's a perfect idea!" And she hopped forward, throwing her arms around Harry in a squeezing hug.

It was there again. That something Harry couldn't name. He hugged Bella back but his grin faded slightly. He looked at Bella, who was smiling still and looking very pleased. His stomach was flipping again. Why was that anyway? He didn't react like this with any of the other girls he knew. Not even his reaction to Cho Chang could compare to this.

"You all right Harry?" Bella asked when the silence stretched on longer than necessary. She reached up to touch Harry's forehead.

"Yeah Bell. Perfectly fine." Harry grinned again and Bella dropped her hand, smiling. She blushed when she realized she was still clinging to Harry and hurriedly pulled back, but made sure to grab his hand and tug him along as they continued on their walk.

Harry was perfectly fine with all that. He was still trying to get through all the odd reactions he was having to Bella. Maybe he ought to talk to somebody about it. Sirius perhaps. Yes Sirius. He'd help Harry figure it out, and it would give him another reason to meet with his godfather after his lesson with Lupin.

"Harry! What're you thinking so hard about now?" Bella demanded, putting a hand on her hip. Harry shrugged with a smile.

"Just stuff Bell. Don't worry about it."

* * *

Sirius was trying really hard not to laugh. It was just...._so cute_ watching Harry pout into the fire while he talked about something Sirius had seen coming for a while now. _Is this what you'd feel Prongs, if you could see your kid? _"And you honestly can't figure it out Harry?" Sirius asked, cocking his head while watching the youngster. Harry blushed but shook his head all the same. He probably wouldn't have said half the things he had said if it weren't for the fact that he was still loopy after his first Dementor training session. But it had happened and he's crowed like a rooster.

"No I can't and it's bothering me!" Harry burst out, tossing a wad of napkins at the fireplace. Watching it go up in flames seemed to help his mood. "I mean, I just don't know what it is. I don't feel like that with Hermione or Ginny or any other girl I know. It only happens when Bell's around." Harry pouted and tossed another wad of napkins at the fireplace. The Grotto was soothingly empty. Bella had gone to bed according to Sirius, and no one else would be bothering them tonight so Sirius and Harry had a while before Harry needed to leave.

In his frustration Harry attacked his hair. "Maybe I'm just being weird or something." He grumbled while his hair looked more like a hurricane than usual. Sirius snorted and waved his wand at it, fixing it back into its proper chaos.

"You're being a teenager Harry." Sirius replied with a laugh. "Do you really want to know what's wrong with you?" Harry turned to him with begging eyes while nodding. Sirius laughed a little more before saying, "You have a crush on Bella."

Silence swamped the Grotto then while Harry's face went from pink to full blown fuschia. Sirius couldn't help it and burst into barks of laughter loud enough to shake the glass ceiling. Harry turned rose red then. "Well it's nothing to be ashamed of!" Sirius tutted once he got himself under control.

Harry fidgetted for a second then gulped. "But--! I mean...it's Bell! She's been my friend almost as long as Hermione! And I haven't ever felt anything for Hermione except friendliness!" Sirius snickered at Harry's horrible attempts to put up an argument. Was he honestly that different from James? Apparently the kid had alotta Lily in him.

"Have you noticed that you're the only one who calls her that?" Sirius asked then, settling into a more serious tone. Seriously amused anyway. Harry blinked at Sirius then. "You are. Not even her brother calls her Bell. Only you do it. Ever wonder why that is?"

Harry shook his head. "No. I've just been doing it since last year. It stuck." Harry tried to shrug it off. Sirius wasn't going to let that happen though. This was too fun!

"You're also the only one who holds her hand aside from her brother. Ever notice that?" Harry's face, which had cooled, instantly heated up again. Now that it was being pointed out...yeah he was the only one who held her hand.

"But that's just because--"

"Yes?" Sirius asked when Harry fell silent. _This is a lot of fun. Maybe I should be nicer though? ...Nah! _"Not to mention you two are always disappearing together."

"We're just good friends. We can talk to each other about lots of stuff." Harry tried, but even he could see he was heading towards failure. Sirius chuckled.

The silence seemed to grow into a big proverbial elephant in the room and Sirius let it. Harry needed to stew in it for a while before he would break it. The sooner he got the kid over his shyness, the sooner he could start teasing him about it.

Finally Harry took a deep breath, let it go, then whispered, "I have a crush on Bell."

"Yes, yes you do. A pretty big one too." Sirius told him with a firm nod. Harry's lips twitched.

"What do I do now?" Harry asked.

Sirius shrugged. "What do you want to do?"

Harry was quiet for a long while.

* * *

"Ah come on Harry! You have to be in tip-top shape if you're going to beat Ravenclaw! Chang's not someone to take lightly you know!" Bella shouted as she hovered a few feet above him. Harry smiled as he looked up at her. even on her Nimbus she was able to keep up with his moves, if not his speed. She'd stopped him from catching the practice Snitch three times as it were. It made him a little sad to know he'd never get to play her in a real Quidditch game.

She was grinning that determined grin of hers. The one she got when she was happily challenged. He had put it there, and it made his stomach do its weird flipping again. It had been a two weeks since his talk with Sirius and he had his answer. He liked having a crush on Bella. So he wanted whatever came with that.

"Oi! Potter!" Grumbling Harry looked down to find Draco with his team. Sighing Harry rolled his eyes and went up to join Bella in the sky, looking down at the green-clad teenagers.

"Wanna go for a quick flight before dinner?" Harry asked, turning to find Bella already turning away from him. Without a word she took off across the sky, Harry hot on her tail. They heard Draco shouting some more but ignored him.

It was always much easier to be honest up in the sky. With only clouds and wind in the way, Harry always had the advantage. He sped up a little, turning around to find Bella urging her own broomstick forward.

What Harry wanted was for one thing in his life to be normal. Crushes were normal.

Bella looped around him then took off in a dive. Harry watched her with a smirk. He'd taught her that one.

She pulled up just inches from the ground then shot up and looped neatly in the air, turing around to face him.

Having a crush on Bella Malfoy was very normal. Lots of the boys in their year and in some of the higher years liked her too. He'd started noticing that lately.

She cocked her head at him then laughed and twirled neatly in the air before joining him where he hung suspended.

"Everything okay Harry?" She asked when all he did was grin.

_They can like her all they want. I'm not giving them any chances though_. Harry nodded before tagging her and shooting away like a rocket. Bella gasped then sped after him, knowing she had no chance to catch up to him.

"Come on Bell! You gotta be faster than that!"

"Potter I'm going to knock you off that broomstick!"

"It's not my fault you're such a slowpoke!"

"That's it, you're going into the lake when I get my hands on you!"

"Have to catch me first!"

Below them, unknown to the two teens, Fred and George listened to the two banter and watched as they swirled, dipped and dived after one another.

"Ah young love. Remember our first crush George?"

"Yeah. Still I think Harry has a better chance at Bella than we did at Madam Rosmerta."

"True true."

* * *

"You like Harry Potter."

Bella choked a little on her evening tea but managed not to cause a mess. She was a Malfoy after all. Pristine imagery was what they were all about. Well that's what Lucius had told her in his last letter.

Looking up from her Father's letter, she turned her silver eyes onto Pansy and the girls around her. Draco was showering and Blaise was busy with some extra credit thing. Goyle and Crabbe had snuck off to grab snacks from Dobby. She was very much alone which was why Pansy had chosen to strike.

Alone but not helpless. She sat up a little straighter, putting her teacup down and making a show of being ccompletely unfazed. Finally she once more lifted her eyes to Pansy's own.

"Your point?" Bella asked, cocking an eyebrow and showing the smirking girl just how little her comment had bothered Bella. Sure it had been weird to hear someone say it outloud a few weeks ago. Hermione had been the one to help her say it outloud for the first time. She'd been surprised so many people had noticed it before she herself had. But it was getting pretty obvious to the usually observant girl just how much she really did like Harry. And unless she was imagining it, Harry liked her just as much. He'd given her another quick little kiss when he left her at the Slytherin common room entrance after their flight the other day.

So yeah, saying that outloud was getting to be pretty usual for Bella.

"Wait until I tell _everyone_. You're going to be laughed right out of Slytherin." Pansy said gleefully. Bella smirked then, the trademark Malfoy smirk that should have warned Pansy she was toying with a dragon and that she better knock it off.

"Go ahead." Bella spread her hands wide, giving Pansy full permission to say so. "I'm not ashamed of myself for liking Harry Potter. Plenty of girls do anyway so why should it matter if I do?"

"Because Potter likes you back!" Pansy huffed, getting annoyed that her threat had no effect. Her words made Bella grin and her heart give a little lurch. She giggled then and tried to calm the blush on her cheeks. Oh really! She felt like such a Hufflepuff!

"Pansy." Pansy and her gang turned and found Draco and Blaise standing behind them, hands on their wands and eyes frigid as the tundra. "I do hope you aren't harrassing my little sister." Draco said coolly.

"I am not!" Pansy simpered making Bella roll her eyes. "It's just... Oh Draco she likes Potter! A Slytherin cannot like a Gryffindor! It's against the rules!"

Blaise gave an elegant little snort as he and Draco walked over and stood on either side of Bella's chair.

"Pansy, you ought to know Bella defies all the rules." Draco told the other girl with a proud smirk on his face. "She's going to like whoever she likes. And even if I think he's a bespectacled idiot, Bella can like Potter for as long as she likes. Though," Draco turned to his sister with a pleading look, "I hope it's for as little time as possible. Out of all the idiots in this place you had to pick Potter?"

Bella shrugged and then hugged her brother who pat her head with a fond sigh. Pansy was sent packing with her gang of hyenas and Blaise chuckled as he and Draco escorted Bella to her seperate room.

"So you don't mind?" Bella asked suddenly as Draco poured himself some tea as well.

Draco took a few drinks before sighing. "To quote Granger, 'It'll be a cold snowy day in Hell before Bella let's you stop her from doing something she wants.' As much as I _hate _quoting your bushy-haired, know-it-all, bossy friend, she has a point." Blaise and Bella looked at each other then blinked slowly at Draco who was looking quite unamused. "What?"

"Draco...you just quoted _Hermione _at _me_." Bella gaped at her brother before bursting into peals of laughter. Blaise joined her while Draco tried to look supremely unruffled. He failed when a vein started jumping in his throat.

* * *

If only life could remain still and sweet.

Bella smiled as she and Harry sat side by side in the Grotto. Draco, Hermione, the twins, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle were all with them as well. It was the first weekend in February and they all had absolutely nothing to do. Well Hermione had homework but she was steadily working through it right now.

Harry was watching lazily as Snuffle was getting pet by the twins, while inwardly laughing at how very good at being a dog Sirius was. Bella was leaning against him, smirking in a dreamy way. Goyle and Crabbe were making their way through a mountain of sweets and Blaise was chatting with Draco about Ravenclaws upcoming chances.

Bella twitched suddenly, lifting herself up from Harry's side and turning to look at the door. Everyone seemed to have noticed for some reason. Maybe it was the quickness of her movement, maybe they could all just feel the tension building in Bella's body. Whatever the reason, their eyes like Harry's were glued to Bella.

The door burst open with a bang, making the eyes leave Bella and land on the furious redheads in the doorway.

"Ron?" Harry asked, getting up and walking towards his friend who was holding a bedsheet in one hand and had his other hand fisted. Ginny was looking furious too, her own hands bunched at her sides. "Ginny? What's wrong?"

"LOOK!" Ron bellowed, shoving the bedsheet at Harry. He took a step back to avoid being punched then took the bedsheet. "LOOK!"

"Ron, what--" Fred tried to talk to his younger brother but Ron just turned his murderous eyes onto his older brother.

"IT'S SCABBERS! LOOK!" Harry's eyes widened as he turned to show Fred what was on the sheet. Tiny splotches of...

"BLOOD!" Ron shouted and Bella feared her glass ceiling would break. She was putting the pieces together rapidly. There was another reason she'd been happy to have everyone in the Grotto today and a reason she'd insisted Hermione bring Crookshanks.... "HE'S GONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?"

"What Ron, what?" George asked now, looking at his furious brother. Ron however swung his gaze around to Bella who was still on the floor. He stalked over and his other hand came very close to Bella's face. She looked on as his fist opened and something drifted onto her jeans. Picking them up, she held them to the light, her breath catching.

"KNEAZLE HAIR!" Ron thundered. Bella was staring at the hairs in her grasp. So he had done it then? Calixto had managed to get the damnable rat?

"That's not all!" Ginny said now, stomping forward as she glared at Bella who was still sitting on the ground. Bella was only half hearing their words. She felt like the world was going to start spinning out of control. After so many failed attempts, so many tries, Sirius would finally get his revenge. "Where is it Malfoy!?"

"Where is what?" Bella asked, coming out of her shock to stare at Ginny.

"My necklace! I found your stupid Kneazle's hair in my dorm right next to my jewelery box!"

Bella snorted as she finally rose from the ground, using her small advantage of being a little taller than Ginny. "Why on earth would Calixto steal from you Ginny? He's a Kneazle not a magpie."

"You told him to! I know you did! Kneazles will do anything for their owners!" Ginny shouted back. Bella's awe at having finally helped Sirius was wearing out and she was getting very irritated at the precocious redhead in front of her. Ron's anger she could understand, but Ginny was just taking advantage of the situation and no doubt framing Calixto for something she had no doubt misplaced herself.

"And why would I bother stealing from you Ginevra?" Bella said, her anger getting the best of her now. "Why would I bother taking a mediocre trinket from you when I have gems the size of my fist sitting in the Malfoy vaults?"

"Becaue you're petty and spiteful!" Ginny shouted.

"Says the girl who stole my diary and my dragonfly barrette and who knows what else you've taken from me!" Bella shouted before she could stop herself.

Silence filled the Grotto. Bella stood her ground though. This was her retreat, her special place, if no one wanted to see her then they could very well get the hell out.

She felt sadness wadding up in her chest though. This was the end of her friendship with the Weasleys. Ginny's parents and brothers would side with her, which meant not only losing Ron but Fred and George as well. Bella had known that for some time now.

It could also possibly be the end of her friendship with Hermione, since the girl liked the Weasleys very much and would probably side with Ron if not Ginny.

It could mean losing Harry too. That was the loss she would feel the deepest. _Don't hate me Harry. _She pleaded silently as she dropped the bloody bedsheet onto the ground.

"If Calixto did harm Scabbers, I apologize. But I know for a fact that Calixto was nowhere near any of _your _things Ginny." Bella said, refusing to look away from the Gryffindors.

"What d'you mean if!?" Ron demanded, blue eyes fierce as they met with Bella's.

"These could be left over from the many times I visited!" Bella defended her Kneazle even though she knew it was true. She'd told Calixto to nab the rat whenever he could manage it without notice. Her kneazle had given her a long look then licked her cheek and sauntered away. Bella knew that if Calixto's hair was in the same place as Scabber's blood it could only mean the feline had succeeded. That didn't mean she wouldn't defend her beloved pet however.

"You sound just like Hermione! You both have killer cats and don't give a bloody damn about anyone else's pets!" Ron argued.

"Now Ron! That's not fair! Bella has always kept Calixto away from Scabbers whenever she could! She knows how much more wild kneazles are! She would have made sure Calixto stayed away from Gyrffindor tower!" Hermione came to her defense which gave Bella heart.

"Oh sure, side with the slimy snake! I should have known better than to trust a rotten sneaking Slytherin like her!"

Bella's breath whooshed out of her then. She'd been to Ron's house, shared meals with him, let him in on some of her secrets, let him into her home, stood beside him in times of danger...and this was how it crumbled? This was how her loyalty was repaid?

"Weasley if you say one more thing--"

"Get out."

Bella's voice was cool and devoid of any hint to her emotions. Those hints were in her stormy eyes. "Get out. Leave, now."

"I'll leave when I'm bloody--"

"Get out now!" Bella shouted and before any of the others could blink, they were suddenly facing the stone stretch of wall where the entrance to the Grotto usually was. They blinked and looked around, noticing that the space was much larger than before and that they felt a bit winded.

"Bella!" Draco was pounding on the wall. "Bella! Where are you!? Virgo! Virgo! Dammit stupid door open up! Virgo!" Draco shouted the password but it did not open up the passage as before.

"What, what, what happened?" Ginny asked, touching her chest which felt like she'd just been pushed by a large heavy hand.

"Bella threw us out." Harry whispered. His words were caught by every ear though. He walked up to the wall and ran his hands over it. The stones felt oddly warm. "She used her power to push us out."

"Dammit!" Draco scowled and he put both his hands on the wall. A wind sprang into existence around him as he concentrated on the wall.

Before they'd left, Lucius had told them about their extra powers. How Draco could control space, how Bella could control the earth. They had been amazed and shocked.

Now Draco was just grateful. He pushed and pushed before a small hole appeared in the wall. Large enough for him to crawl through. He jumped into it and the group watched as his feet disappeared. Then before anyone could follow, the hole sealed up behind the boy.

"Draco!" Blaise cried out, running to the wall now. He waited for a moment then relaxed. His friends were powerful, they'd be fine. No doubt either of them had sealed the tunnel to prevent them from following. Assured, he whirled around to face Ron and Ginny. "Get out of here Weasleys. We only let you into our dungeons per Bella's request. Since you're only here to injure her then that request is void." The anger in Blaise's face was amazing, Harry thought off handly, considering he'd never seen the usually calm and collected Slytherin so very pissed off.

Ron made a noise halfway between a war cry and a snarl then turned and left, Ginny, Fred, and George going after him. Blaise then turned to Harry and Hermione who were staring at the wall. "And what about you two?" Blaise demanded, drawing his wand.

"I think I made myself perfectly clear about whose friend I was!" Hermione replied indignantly. They turned to Harry then who was still staring at the wall.

"Well Potter?" Blaise demanded, his wand on the young hero.

Harry spared Blaise a single hostile glance before he simply leaned against the opposite wall, and slid down to wait. Hermione joined him after a second. Blaise took that for the answer it was before he joined them as well. Crabbe and Goyle followed after getting a nod from Blaise.

They all settled down to wait.

* * *

Inside the stone facade Draco found Bella sitting in a small room. Her throne was still there, and everything was much the same except there was no glass ceiling in this room and it was much smaller than the grand Grotto.

"Bella." Draco said as he moved to sit beside her. Bella had created another throne, just the right size for him. She leaned over and put her head on his shoulder.

"I'm used to hearing those comments. But not from Ron. He hasn't really insulted me since first year. I thought he was my friend. Not as good a friend as Hermione and Harry but a friend nonetheless."

"I was expecting it to be honest. That's one lion that'll never switch his tactics." Draco replied before sighing. "I'm still angry he said it. We let him into our house and you defended him all the time. That ought to count for something."

Bella nodded before sighing herself. "I just hope Calixto got that rat to Sirius."

Draco smirked, having figured it was planned. "I'm sure he did if that was what you ordered. Calixto is a very good feline."

"Yes." Bella sighed again then stood up. "So I've lost the Wesleys, and maybe Hermione and Harry. I hope not." Pain flashed across her face and Draco gave her a comforting smile.

"You haven't. If Potter's stupid enough to go after that lost cause of a wizard then he didn't deserve you in the first place."

Bella chuckled and took a deep breath. "Stupid Ginny, working me up like that. Ugh. Well whatever, I don't have to pretend to like her anymore at the very least."

"Thank Merlin. Can I push her off a cliff now?

"If you can get her anywhere near one."

The Malfoys shared a laugh and a devious smile before Bella put her chin in her hand and tapped her wand hand against her leg.

"I hope Sirius doesn't kill Pettigrew right away. Harry deserves a chance to confront the traitor." Bella said at last.

"Well we can't exactly tell him not to do anything if we stay in here right?" Draco reasoned. Bella nodded, took her brother's hand and opened the stone wall. They walked through, with Bella closing it and thinking she'd best find a new place for a Grotto. She was rather surprised when she spotted Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, Hermione and Harry across from them.

"Took you long enough." Hermione said as she sprang up and began scolding Bella. "Scared us half to death! Don't ever do that without warning us again Bella Malfoy!"

"I won't." Bella said, a little surprised to see Hermione smiling at her. Her eyes turned then to find Harry's.

The green-eyed boy got up from his seat and walked over to her, a smile lifting the corners of his lips. He then did something she never ever thought he'd do.

He kissed her cheek in front of everybody.

"Come on then, dinner's started. Just because Ron's pissed off doesn't mean we ought to skip dinner." Harry said, blushing furiously as he took Bella's hand and tugged her up through the dungeons.

"Potter! You did not just kiss my sister in front of me!"

"Oh calm down Malfoy, it was a peck on the cheek."

"Granger do not tell me to calm down! Potter, stop smirking! I can see you from here!"

"Draco really, we knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. At least it wasn't on the lips."

"Ugh! Shut up Blaise! Ugh! Now that imagine is in my head!"

"It's your own fault for being so overprotective."

"Shut it Granger!"

Bella laughed as Harry continued to lead her up the steps and into the Great Hall. He hesitated for a second before once more surprising them all and taking her to the Slytherin table. Hermione didn't hesitate to follow, although the Slytherins blinked a few times before following the two Gryffindors to their own table. A hush fell over the Great Hall before whispers broke out.

From across the hall Ron and Ginny among a few others glared at Hermione and Harry.

"This is bizzare." Harry commented as he settled beside Bella with Hermione on his other side. He wondered if this was like seeing out of Draco's eyes.

"Yes it is." Draco grumbled before sitting next to his sister. Soon Crabbe, Blaise, and Goyle blocked the angry Gryffindor's faces. When Harry cocked an eyebrow, Blaise chuckled.

"You made your choice Potter." Blaise told him and Harry looked over at Bella who was looking up at him worriedly.

"Was it the right one?" She asked him softly, knowing the Slytherins around them were listening. Harry knew that too, but he appreciated the way the Slytherins didn't make it obvious.

"For me it was." Harry promised her.

"He's your best friend though." Bella persisted.

Harry took a dinner roll and bit into it, before answering. "He knows you're important to me." Harry told her, looking her right in the eyes. "So he ought to have known what accusing you would do to me."

Bella felt herself flush but she didn't bother hiding the smile on her face. Harry smiled at her in return before turning to Hermione. She caught his expression and smiled herself.

"I always felt Ron was a prat." Hermione said with a serious look on her face. "Besides, where better for a girl like me to be than with her best friends?"

Harry and Bella beamed at her. The tension lifted and Blaise did a spectacular job of pushing it aside by asking, "So Potter, think you'll last long against Chang?"

"Course he will, bloody Firebolt..." Draco groused making them all laugh.

Bella relaxed at last. It was going to be okay. She could handle losing the Weasleys. She had Harry and Hermione and they weren't going anywhere.

Harry's hand tightened around hers as if to prove it.

* * *

_**Whoo! Were any of you lovely readers expecting this? ^^. **_


	25. Spring Feelings

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

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**Is it just me or was the last chapter the most reviewed one ever? ^^. I was amazed and shocked and then warmed by the many reviews! It's lovely and I am glad I gave you guys a good twist! **

**Now to settle some feathers, don't worry bout Fred and George, as if I would ever permenantly get rid of our favorite pranksters. Family might be important to them but they'll be back before you can miss 'em! **

**Everything not made up by me belongs to J.K. Rowling. Now onwards with the show! **

**

* * *

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_**Part Three**_

_**----**_

_**Chapter Twenty-Five: Spring Feelings**_

_**---**_

"He got away!?" Bella cried as she and Harry visited with Sirius in the edge of the forest. Bella had found a nice little clearing that worked well. She'd shifted and packed stone and earth inbetween the trees so tightly that it enclosed a small area for their use. She and Harry had come to see Sirius the day after the big confrontation.

"Yes, the sneaking rat. He disappeared again. Calixto keeps apologizing by the way, you may want to comfort him." Sirius growled, before stooping to snatch up the depressed kneazle. "It's all right Calixto. I know you tried."

Harry was just staring dazed at the other side of the clearing. He had been told Pettigrew was a rat of course but never in a million years had he imagined Scabbers being Pettigrew. He was feeling grateful now that Bella and Sirius had kept mum about it. He didn't think he could have let that rat live if he'd been told his true identity.

"He can't've gone far." Bella argued, fingers flexing. Harry noticed and reached up to take her hand, tugging her towards him. She'd gotten up and paced after Sirius told them Calixto had failed. Now though she dropped down heavily beside Harry, dropping her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. Both of you. I ought to have just trapped Pettigrew myself."

"Don't you dare blame yourself." Sirius said and knelt in front of the girl. "You didn't do a thing wrong. You thought having Calixto do the dirty work was the best course and it was. Now stop this pouting immediately."

Harry nudged Bella and made her look at him before smiling. "Yeah Bell. I would have never thought of using a pet to snatch Pettigrew. I would have been thinking of elaborate traps and exposed myself way before now."

Bella's lips twitched into a grin and she shook her head. "You would have figured it out eventually." She promised him but the guilty look had left her eyes.

"But not as quickly as you did. Even with all the stuff going on with the imposters and your dad you managed to figure out this plan." Harry gave her a truly awed look then making her fidget and blush. Sirius snickered then, breaking the growing mood.

"Oh get a room you two." He teased making Harry blush and Bella shake her head.

"Oh shut it." She demanded, giving Sirius the same sort of stern look she gave to Draco at times. The animagus laughed and settled down.

"We'll catch him Bell. Don't worry. You're right. He's bound to be hiding out around here somewhere." Harry said after a moment of quiet.

"Right. And when we do..." Bella's eyes turned dark pewter. "I will be very happy to demonstrate a few of the spells Sev's taught me."

Sirius gave a pretend shudder and gave Harry a grin. "Sure you can handle her Harry? She's going to be a mighty handful. I can't wait to see what you're going to be like when she gets even smarter _and _prettier."

The Gryffindor blushed along with the Slytherin while the Animagus let out his barks of laughter.

* * *

_It was everywhere! The darkness, the shrill forest sounds, the feeling of being stalked by something that wanted to rip her to shreds--!_

"...ell...Bell!" Harry was kneeling beside her, pulling her up with worry etched into every line of his face. Bella smiled faintly, lifting herself up from the ground.

"Sorry Harry." Bella mumbled. "I can't seem to get a handle on it."

"Don't be sorry. I'm not much better." Harry said with a grin.

Somehow they'd skipped right through March and smack-dab in the middle of April without their noticing. The game against Ravenclaw had gone well. Harry had been forced to use his Patronus on what later turned out to be some members of the Slytherin team trying to sabotage him. Not only had these team members been punished, but Bella had later informed Harry that the entire house was shunning them and demanding they never be allowed to play Quidditch for Slytherin again. Harry had been stunned to say the least. When asked why the house would shun their own housemates Bella had turned to him with serious eyes.

"No matter what anyone says Harry, Draco and I rule Slytherin. Not the older students, not the prefects, not even Sev'rus. And although we're not known for loyalty, we _are _known for obedience." She'd smiled then, a dangerous sort of smile. "When you make friends with a Slytherin, you are given a sort of free pass. You and Hermione are off limits because you're not just friends with a Slytherin, but friends with _me_. That means no pranks, no insults within hearing range and definitely no underhanded sabotage. Those idiots knew that before they did it and still went ahead with their plan. They asked to suffer."

Harry had been amazed at that little fact. He had noticed that ever since that first time they'd eaten at the Slytherin table, that the Slytherins sneers and jeers hadn't been directed at him or Hermione anymore but he'd thought that was just because the Slytherins didn't want to mess with such well known Gryffindors or some other such thing. Then later after the whole Ron and Ginny fiasco he'd thought it was because the Slytherins were too busy attacking Ron and Ginny.

To hear Bella say it was because he and Hermione were important to her, well that just made things sweeter.

Not to mention he thought it was pretty cute how Bella could say she ruled an entire house and yet not sound like an arrogant jerk. She merely sounded like she was stating fact.

The weeks had gone by and Harry had begun teaching Bella all that Lupin had taught him about Patronuses. They practiced in unused classrooms and little secret rooms Bella would sometimes create. Some of the older Slytherins had found another boggart to serve as their practice Dementor and it was kept inside a nice tight chest when not being used.

They had decided to practice in one of the lighter rooms since it was a Hogsmeade weekend. Better to be doing something productive than sulking because they were grounded.

"I'm a failure." Bella pouted as Harry shoved the boggart back into the box with a huff after turning it into a fluffy bunny with oversized ears.

"You're not." Harry nearly growled, making Bella blink at him. "You're learning, there's a difference."

She smiled and he relaxed, locking the box and then shrinking it. Hanging out with Slytherins had begun teaching Hermione and Harry some new tricks.

They had begun spending more time with Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle and Draco. Blaise and Hermione could talk for hours over their various subjects, Draco and Harry's rivalry was becoming more like friendly banter, and Crabbe and Goyle had extended their protectiveness of Bella onto Harry and Hermione.

They would meet for study dates and at mealtimes if the Gryffindors became too hostile, they were always welcomed to the Slytherin table. Even Snape was going easier on them these days.

Ron wasn't speaking to either of them. Half of Gryffindor wasn't speaking to them for that matter. Mostly the lower years. Harry had gotten the cold shoulder from Seamus and Dean too but Neville in a rare display of courage had defended Harry's decision. Neville had started to find himself included in the study dates and Bella was warming up to him. Hermione did all right for herself as well. She'd never gotten along with the girls in their year anyway and what did she care about popularity?

Harry didn't care much either.

"Ah-ha! Found you!" Identical voices said then and the two young teens whipped around to find Fred and George watching them.

"Fred! George!" Bella said while Harry stared at the pranksters with a wary eye. He knew Fred and George were kind souls under all the bangs and explosions but they were also Gryffindors and well-known pranksters. He hadn't spoken to them since they left the Grotto back in February. They hadn't tried to make contact either so Harry was a bit more than wary. _Being friends with Slytherins also makes you a little paranoid_, he thought wryly.

"Hey there Bella, Harry." They said in unison before stepping into the room and shutting the door. Harry's hand gripped slightly on his wand. He could see Bella was standing looking relaxed. A second look revealed the steely glint in her eyes.

"We've been meaning to talk to you." Fred said then, smiling at the tension he could feel growing.

"Have you?" Bella asked softly, blinking at the redhead.

"Yeah." George said, turning a chair around and plopping himself into it. "But we had to wait for things to cool down before we did."

"Mum's been sending us letters nearly every day." Fred said and Harry nodded, recalling the unusual amount of times he'd seen Errol over the past few weeks.

"Telling us to stay away from Slytherins." George rolled his eyes.

"And saying she can't believe Harry would turn his back on us." Fred drolled with a wink at Harry.

"It's been the other way around actually." Bella replied when Harry started to look a little guilty. "No one from your family has ever contacted Harry."

Fred and Geroge nodded seriously before snickering. "You would know wouldn't you Miss soon-to-be Potter?" They asked while cracking identical grins. Harry and Bella flushed and refused to look at each other while the twins continued laughing.

Once their blushing was under control, Harry turned to the twins with curiosity in his emerald eyes. "So if that's what the Weasleys think then why are you here?"

Fred and George shared a look then turned to the younger teens with sincere smiles. "Cuz we think they're wrong." They said simply.

Simply but with conviction in their tones. Bella looked at them hard, trying to find a lie. When all she could see was sincerity she took a slow breath. Harry saw her relaxing and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Besides," Fred said then with the mischievous light entering his blue eyes once more, "we can't exactly help Bella build up an empire without talking to her right?"

Bella giggled then while Harry laughed. George and Fred nodded to themselves once more before standing up and walking closer. "We brought this as a sign of good faith." George said then, pulling out what looked like old parchment from his cloak.

The two younger teens watched as the twins held the parchment almost reverently. "What is it?" Harry asked at last.

"This young Harry is the secret to all our success." George replied with a fond sigh.

"We figured trading in one of our best kept secrets would make you believe we're on your side." Fred put in then.

Bella had taken the parchment from George gently and was running her fingertips over it. "We don't really need it anymore either so we bequeath it to you two." George added.

"And what does a bit of old parchment have to do with your success?" Harry was getting puzzled.

"A bit of old parchment!" Fred put a hand on his heart as if Harry had gravely offended him. "Explain George."

"Well you see, when we were in our first year--young, carefree, innocent--"

"You're capable of being innocent?" Bella asked skeptically.

The twins shared a look while Harry snorted. "Well more innocent than we are now." George amended. "Anyway we got into a bit of trouble with Filch--" Bella laughed then. "He threatened us with the usual and thats when we saw the drawer marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."

Bella and Harry began to grin. "So we caused a little diversion and I whipped out _this_." Fred said with a fevered look at the parchment in Bella's hand. "We don't think Filch ever figured out how to work it, though he probably knew what it was."

"And you know how to work it?" Harry wondered. The twins grinned. Then they whipped out their wands and touched it to the parchment.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Bella gave a squeak as lines began to appear on the parchment. They watched in wonder as slowly the map came into view.

Fred and George explained how to work it with a joy that Bella knew came from passing on well-hoarded knowledge.

"And these all lead right into Hogsmeade." Fred was saying now, pointing out some tunnels. "Filch knows about these, the one behind the mirror is all caved in, and this one has the Whomping Willow right over it."

"But this one..." George said with a smile, "is right across the corridor if you've noticed."

"So now you two, it's a beautiful day and you ought to be out playing with everyone else." George smiled.

"Are we good now?" Fred asked then, looking serious once more.

Harry and Bella looked over the Marauder's Map once more before nodding. Bella gave them each a quick hug before the twins grinned, bowed, and disappeared.

* * *

"Mm! I forgot how good the fresh air feels!" Bella chirped as they walked discreetly through the streets of Hogsmeade. Ron was out here along with Ginny so they were keeping under the Invisibility cloak.

Harry snorted at her dramatic cheer. "You act like you've been in a cage for a year."

"Might as well have been considering the way this year has been going." Bella said with a sigh. Harry pat her shoulder and gently tugged her to the side before some one hit her with a shopping bag.

"Bugger off!" Came a familiar voice as they headed up a small trail. They hurried to the bend in the road and found Ron, Dean and Seamus standing there staring at Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle.

"I think not Weasley." Blaise drawled in what Harry was quickly coming to recognize as the aristocrat tone. Most of the pureblood Slytherins had one. Draco and Blaise were by far the most impressive however. Not only were they from ancient bloodlines but they also had the wealth to back up the arrogant tones. He'd even heard Bella pull out that tone whenever Pansy had tried to make trouble.

"Leave me alone already! It's been non stop pranks from you guys all month!" Ron growled, pulling out his wand.

Blaise didn't even bother to take a step back, although Crabbe and Goyle had shifted ever so slightly to his sides. Harry had never seen them do that before.

"Is it just me...or are Crabbe and Goyle getting ready for something?" Harry asked softly while they continued to watch from the safety of the invisibility cloak.

Bella giggled and nodded. "Good eyes Harry." She said sweetly. "Most people write Vince and Greg off as muscleheads. But they aren't. They're not geniuses but they do have intelligence of their own. They've been working that misconception to their advantage ever since Draco and Blaise started teaching them how to." Bella sounded proud and as Harry continued to watch he could see why. Blaise wasn't really insulting Ron or the others. His superior tone, his exotic looks and careful expressions were the insults. Harry gasped a little when he realized how little he truly knew about the Slytherins.

The Gryffindors were getting angrier and angrier. Crabbe and Goyle laughed and snickered every so often, having shifted so that they were blocking Blaise without letting it show that they were doing so. Ron said something then that made Dean and Seamus laugh nastily. Surprisingly to Harry, Bella also giggled.

"And now Greg is going to pretend to be a thick lump and take a shot at Dean." Bella said. As soon as the words left her mouth Goyle lunged forward. Dean ducked, only to run into Crabbe. "Vince will make Dean fall into Seamus and then Blaise will take advantage of their falling to hex Ron." Sure enough, Crabbe pushed Dean hard, making him crash into Seamus. The two fell and Blaise lazily lifted his wand, muttered a spell and Ron was suddenly covered in honey and feathers.

"Come on you two. We told Draco we'd get him some sweets from Honeydukes." Blaise said as he turned. Ron spit honey out of his mouth and snarled.

"And you called me pathetic? At least I'm not that blonde git's lapdog!"

"Oh he shouldn't've said that." Bella said as Blaise froze. The boy's dark eyes flashed but before he could even turn another surprise appeared in the form of a bushy-haired brown-eyed girl.

"Blaise is no one's lapdog Ron, which is more than I can say for you." Hermione said walking over to stand next to Blaise.

"And what's that supposed to mean!?" Ron growled, temper growing again.

"It means Blaise isn't stupid enough to believe obvious lies like Ginny's." Hermione replied acidly before she turned to look at Blaise. The Gryffindor boys gaped at her while she sent Blaise a small smile. Blaise had gotten a hold of his temper and was returning the smile.

"Hermione...?" Ron asked dumbly. Even Harry was a little surprised that Blaise, a pureblood, would smile at Hermione, a Muggleborn, in public. Sure they'd been getting along in school but still. Hermione merely arched an eyebrow before shaking her head.

"I just happened to hear the disturbance and came to see what it was." Hermione looked over at Blaise then. "Did you say you were heading to Honeydukes?" Blaise nodded and Hermione smiled once more. "Well then I'll join you. Bella wanted something from Gladrags anyway."

"Hermione!" Ron said, sitting up and looking at her now. "You're going into Hogsmeade with Zabini?"

"Yes." Hermione turned to Ron with a stern look. "And don't you start on me or I'll encase you in mud." She warned.

"But Hermione...it's Zabini!" Ron was obviously trying not to get pissed off while trying to get Hermione's attention.

"So?" Hermione asked. "If Harry can have Slytherin friends, then so can I."

"But he's not your friend!" Ron's temper was winning now. "As soon as Malfoy drops you he's going to be a git all over again!"

"I would thank you not to predict my actions Weasel." Blaise said then. "I am no lapdog nor an idiot. Even if she is Muggleborn, I find Granger is good company."

"It wouldn't kill you Slytherins to use my name you know." Hermione said then with obvious teasing in her tone. Bella had to stifle her giggles at the Gyrffindors spluttering while Harry continued to watch, mystified and amused. He wasn't sure what Twilight Zone he'd just stepped into but hell if it wasn't funny. "It's four little syllables. Her-my-oh-nee."

Blaise actually chuckled then. "Very well Her-my-oh-nee." He chuckled at the Gryffindors still flabergasted looks. "Let's get going then shall we?"

Hermione nodded but they'd only gotten two steps before Ron shouted, "You traitor!"

Hermione froze in place then slowly turned to Ron. "I'm not the one who's been prejudiced against Slytherins for no reason. You Ron, you were prejudiced even after Bella did her best to befriend you. Didn't you see how well she protected us from their pranks, when she could? She even kept Ginny's thievery a secret because she didn't want to cause problems between you and her! You may be blind to it Ron, but the only traitor here is you. Bella was your friend, whether you believe it or not, and you didn't even give her a chance to defend herself before calling her a slimy snake!"

"Thanks Mione." Bella whispered into the sudden silence that followed.

"And Harry too Ron! You've been shunning your best friend just because he chose to believe Bella!" Hermione was in a tirade now. "He's stuck up for you, stood by your side, given you his friendship without asking for a thing in return and you just decided to cast him aside!"

"Because he's with Bella!" Ron said in an attempt to argue. "If he'd just drop her and get over it then we could be friends again! She's going to do it to him anyway! You'll see! She's a Slytherin, she's only playing with Harry! It's probably all a big joke to those snakes!"

Hermione gasped then, her eyes flashing angrily. "You big idiot!" Hermione started to stalk over but Blaise caught her arm. "You stupid sulky child! Bella would never do that! You really never bothered to get to know her did you!?" Hermione was trying to shake Blaise off but Blaise knew if he let her that she'd get herself into trouble.

"She's just a Slytherin Hermione." Ron said with a shrug.

Harry had had enough. He could see Bella had too. Walking them forward he walked up to Crabbe. The big boy jumped but it went unnoticed as the others focused on Hermione and Ron. "Crabbe, it's me Harry. Bella's with me too. Tella Blaise we're here and that we'll meet you guys down the road."

"Bella?" Crabbe asked in a whisper.

"Please do as Harry says Vince." Bella replied sadly. Harry watched with a bit of a smile as Crabbe nodded and did as he was told. Blaise's face barely twitched and he looked out of the corner of his eyes. Harry stuck his hand out, waved, then hid it again. Blaise did let the surprise show on his face then before nodding slightly.

"Come on Hermione. Let Weasley suffer. His own loss." Blaise said, tugging on Hermione's arm.

"Shut up Zabini!" Ron snapped. "Hermione's a Gryffindor first!"

"I'm a friend first you idiot!" Hermione replied, turning around with a whirl and stomping down the trail. Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle followed after her leaving the three Gryffindors in their place. Blaise tugged Hermione off the trail once they were out of sight, into a small meadow. "What's going--?"

"Bella? Harry?" Blaise asked and Harry took off the Invisibility cloak from him and Bella. Crabbe and Goyle blinked while Blaise got a speculative look in his dark eyes. Hermione squeaked then threw her arms around both of them.

"Oh no! You heard him? Oh I'm so sorry you two!" Hermione let Harry go to squeeze Bella more.

"It's not like I wasn't expecting that." Bella told her with a twist of her lips. "I just can't believe I didn't see it coming sooner."

"Weasley's a prat." Goyle said then with a shrug. "He'll pay for it later."

"It's bizzare." Harry said then, looking at the Slytherins with a furrowed brow. "I mean, no offense you guys, but it's just bizzare seeing how intelligent you are."

The abrupt statement made them burst into laughter.

"We do not tolerate stupidity in Slytherin." Blaise informed Harry who grinned cheekily.

"Then why is Pansy still in there?" Harry asked making the others laugh more.

"Unfortunately it's illegal to kill someone for being stupid or else we would have bumped her off by now." Blaise said in a tone that Harry wasn't sure was joking or not. He decided he didn't want to know and laughed anyway.

"So how'd you get here?" Crabbe asked then.

Bella looked to Harry who nodded. "Fred and George helped us out." Harry said. There wasn't any need to reveal all their secrets after all.

"The twins?" Hermione asked, settling down now that she was sure her best friends were all right.

"Yeah. They showed us a way to sneak out. It was their peace offering." Bella said then with a truly happy smile. "I'm glad they aren't being silly like Ron and the other Weasleys."

Blaise started to speak up then but Harry had a feeling he knew what the boy was going to ask. "Trust me Blaise, they proved they're on our side. Fred and George wouldn't have risked telling us how they've been sneaking out if they didn't trust us. We could use what they told us and go to McGonagall after all."

"True." Blaise said after a long moment.

"And even if they are pranksters, they aren't idiots." Bella added.

Blaise nodded then sighed. "Draco doesn't know right?"

"I told him me and Harry would be practicing for most of the day." Bella replied with a glitter in her eye. "He probably won't start worrying till an hour before dinner."

"Snape is more observant though." Hermione said then and Bella winced with a chuckle.

"Oops, knew I was forgetting someone."

The teens shared another laugh before Harry and Bella disappeared under the cloak and followed their friends to Gladrags then to Honeydukes. They wandered around a bit more, soaking up the spring sunshine, then Harry and Bella left to get back into the castle before they were missed too much.

* * *

Bella had that prickle of worry lately. The one that had often warned her of danger coming to them. She'd pushed it away as agitation over the whole Ron/Ginny situation. At first. Then...as April dropped into May without a relief from the growing worry, she began to look around them with clear eyes. She was determined that nothing would harm either Hermione or Harry this year.

When she confided in Draco, he took her seriously, but tried to soothe her growing worry nonetheless.

"It's probably just you wondering about that damn rat." Bella had spoken to Draco about the identity of the rat. So far only she, Harry, Sirius and Draco knew of the truth behind Scabbers.

"Maybe." Bella tried to push the worry away but it wasn't leaving her be.

The upcoming exams managed to keep her mind off things for a while. Studying for them cleared her head of any worry aside from studying everything they'd learned through the year.

It was during one of these study times, that Neville of all people, calmly set his book down and looked at Bella. Spending time with Slytherins without them insulting him had done wonders for his nervous disposition.

"Bella? Is everything all right?" Neville asked, watching her with kind eyes. Bella nodded then rolled her eyes and slumped over. None of the others said anything, though Harry did give her a smile. They were used to these random displays from Bella. She smiled back then turned to Neville who was still waiting calmly for an answer.

"Mm...for the most part yes." Bella bit her lip, casting quick eyes around the group gathered outside in a small nook between the greenhouses and the castle. Technically they weren't supposed to be there because Sirius Black was still on the loose, along with Lucius Malfoy. But being cooped up was not something Bella would stand for.

"For the most part?" Neville prodded gently. Bella sighed then.

"Have you ever gotten a bad feeling but not known why?" She asked him then. Neville nodded.

"The first time I asked my Gran why I didn't have a mom or dad like anyone else." Neville admitted softly. Bella gave his hand a pat before biting her lip again.

"Something bad is going to happen. I don't know when but...I can feel it." Bella told him softly. "And as always it just has to be connected to Harry Potter." She added with a playful scoff. Neville actually laughed aloud. Bella relaxed a little then.

"Gloom and doom does tend to follow Harry around." Neville told her. "But he has you with him so he'll be all right." Bella gave Neville a startled look while the boy blushed and picked up his notes again. "I can just tell you'll take care of him." Neville muttered shyly. Bella felt a blush on her cheeks then but beamed sweetly at Neville nonetheless.

"Yeah. No matter what." Bella promised and Neville nodded before asking her for an explanation of a Transfiguration spell.

* * *

_...Calmouth is still uncertain about where the Minister stands. On the one hand Fudge would no doubt enjoy having my gold lining his pockets once more. On the other he fears the reaction of the public. _

_Why I ever thought he'd make a good puppet is beyond my reasoning now. _

_Calmouth is pressing for the partial pardon in the hopes of having me freed by the summer. I admit it would do me a great deal of good to be able to sit in my own home once more. Still I am patient. You and Draco know the truth so my soul and heart are at ease. _

_Take care Bella and do not worry, this distasteful situation will work itself to a favorable end. _

_Love, your father_

Bella sighed and shook her head. Fudge would be swayed by public opinion in the end. There were many others willing to line the man's pockets after all...

With a gasp she lurched out of her seat in the Slytherin common room, disturbing the quiet tension growing now that May was drawing to a close.

"Bella?" Crabbe asked, frowning when she stared straight ahead at the wall opposite them, lips parted slightly.

"Why didn't I think of this before?" Bella whispered, completely ignoring the grumbles the other Slytherins gave her. "If gold is what it takes..."

"Bella?" Crabbe tried again. He'd taken on Bella-watching duty while the others had gone off to torment Weasley. Not that Bella knew that. She thought they'd gone off to grab some books from the library.

"I'm okay Vince, sorry if I worried you. I'm going to be writing a letter in my room." Bella said while hurrying into her room and pulling up a fresh sheet of parchment.

By the time Draco had returned an hour later, Bella was once again in the common room, except now she was holding a neatly folded parchment in her hands. Seeing her brother she smiled and handed him their father's latest letter. Once he finished with that she grinned. "I know how to get Father fully pardoned." Bella said softly. Draco's eyes widened a bit as she visibly shook with pleasure. "It's such a simple solution, I'm surprised we didn't think of it sooner."

"Oh?"

She nodded eagerly, holding out the letter she'd written. "The thing we overlooked Draco is that Father never actually stopped lining Fudge's pockets." Bella said softly and Draco's eyes lit up with laughter then. "I went through those reports Calmouth gave you for all the vaults. Did you know that for the past eight years Fudge had been recieving a monthly stipend from a vault in the Canary Islands?" Bella asked, her voice becoming icy. Draco just felt his smirk widen.

"You're vicious, you know that?" Draco said while looking over his sister's letter. She'd done very well, using big words and a slightly sugary tone while saying in no uncertain terms that unless Fudge pushed for the full pardon, he'd have to pay back every single Galleon given to him from the Canary Island account. After all, when a wizard was thrown into Azkaban all his holdings were frozen and no one was supposed to be allowed to access them aside from that wizard's next of kin.

Bella leaned back in her seat while Draco chuckled. "You forgot your signature." Draco said then. Bella smiled sweetly then.

"I thought it would be best if you signed it. Fudge would no doubt dismiss it if he saw it came from me."

Draco huffed then. "I'll put my name on the outside, just to make sure he opens it, but you ought to take credit little sister." Before Bella could argue he took his quill and scribbled Bella's signature. Bella blinked. "You've been practicing my signature."

"You've been practicing mine." Draco replied while whistling softly. Ptolemy seemed to appear out of nowhere and land sedately on Draco's outstretched arm.

"Take this to the Minister Ptolemy." Draco ordered. Ptolemy gave a soft hoot before taking off.

"How did you think of looking into the accounts?" Draco wondered then. Bella smiled.

"It was Father's phrasing. It helped me remember something I read in a Muggle novel once. The corrupt police chief was taking drug money and putting it in an account under a convicted robber's name and in the end it bit him in the bum. I didn't think I'd find anything like that with Fudge but it seems he's more Muggle than he lets on." Bella giggled more while Draco rolled his eyes. Trust Fudge to be outdone by a thirteen year old witch.

"Father will be proud." He told her then and she beamed. Draco for his part felt very proud of her himself.

Calixto walked in then and jumped into Bella's lap, a piece of parchment in his mouth. Draco and Bella looked at each other then Bella took the parchment.

_Bella, I found him. Bring Harry to the edge of the forest at midnight. We'll finish this together._

Breath catching, Bella silently handed the note to Draco while hurrying to slip her shoes back on. "What, now?" Draco said but Bella didn't listen. She hurried to the portrait hole without a word.

* * *

**_Hehe end chappy! See I told ya you wouldn't have time to miss the twins! If all goes according to plan, next chapter will finish off year three. Till next time! _**


	26. Justice

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

* * *

**O.M.G. I have over a hundred reviews for Waga Routashi. O.O Wow. I'm just...so...amazed. Thank you all so much! I can't believe Waga Routashi has made it past a hundred reviews! Wowza! Arigato! ^^. **

**Everything not made up by me belongs to J.K. Rowling. Now onwards with the show! **

* * *

_**Part Three**_

* * *

_**Chapter Twenty-Six: Justice **_

Bella ran all the way to Gryffindor Tower without pause. Her heart pounded in her chest as she skidded to a halt in front of the Fat Lady.

"What's this? What're you running for little Slytherin?" The Fat Lady asked watching as Bella was finally made aware of the stitch in her side.

"I need...need to see...Harry..." Bella gasped out, silver eyes squinting at the portrait.

"Well dear you'll need the password." The Fat Lady said and Bella groaned. She hadn't asked for the latest password. She hadn't thought she'd be needing to come up to Gryffindor Tower ever again considering how annoyed half the house was with her. She didn't need to be hexed thank you very much.

The portrait swung open then and out came Ginny with one of her little friends. Bella met her brown gaze with narrowed silver eyes.

"What're you doing here?" Ginny hissed like a cat making Bella smirk.

"I need to see Harry." Bella said, pushing past the redhead and crawling into the common room. A quick sweep let her know Harry wasn't there. She hurried up the stairs without another word and knocked on the door to the third year's dorm. It opened to reveal a scowling Ron. Bella pushed past him too, eyes locking onto Harry's surprised green ones.

"Bell? What're you doing here?" Harry asked, getting up and taking in her flushed face. Bella cast Ron a small glance before she pushed him out of the room and locked it. Turning back to Harry she dropped her voice into a whisper.

"Sirius found Pettigrew. He sent me a note. He wants us to meet him at the edge of the forest at midnight."

Harry looked at his watch. It was nearly ten, way past curfew for both of them. He gave a jump then as he looked at Bella. She was catching her breath and rubbing her side. "Did you run all the way here?" He asked mystified, ignoring the thumps and angry shouts coming from the other side of the door.

"Yeah. Couldn't get caught out could I?" She asked with a cheeky grin. He smiled then grimaced as more shouts joined Ron's.

"Speaking of you better get going." Harry said, looking around then nodding. "I'll meet you in the room where we practiced in an hour. You better get going."

Bella nodded then flicked her wand at the door. Seamus and Ron fell through in mid-yell. She jumped over them with ease and hurried back out of the common room. Harry had to laugh a little at the tangle on the ground. Neville edged his way into the dorm then, a slight twitch to his lips as well.

"Neville." Harry said then softly, while Percy came to see what all the hubbub was about. "I'm going to need to sneak out in an hour."

Neville looked at him then at the other boys before nodding. "Leave it to me." Neville said and began rummaging around in his trunk. Harry was curious. He had been hoping Neville would just agree to supply him an alibi but now he wondered what the boy was up to.

Once Percy had left, after promising to tell McGonagall about Bella's after curfew visit--Harry had a hard time not hexing the pompous boy then--the Gryffindors began settling into their bed. Harry couldn't help glancing at his watch every few minutes.

Then with a quarter till eleven, Neville revealed a long stick of incense. Harry watched him light it with a sort of smug look on his face. The incense smelled sweet and was making it difficult for him to keep his eyes open...

Something cold and liquid roused him from his doze. Neville had a scarf tied around his mouth and nose but Harry swore he could see the smugness dancing in Neville's kind brown eyes.

"What was that Neville?" Harry asked, using his sheet to keep from breathing in the incense. Neville waved his wand and a magical breeze ruffled Harry's hair. Neville tugged off the scarf so he figured the smell was gone. Sure enough it smelled like fresh air in the dorm.

"It's a special incense I found in Diagon Alley. They had all sorts of different ones but I got this pack so that I could make Gran sleep whenever she started getting too fussy." Neville explained. Harry was impressed and made sure his expression showed it. Neville pinked a little but smiled back. "That'll keep them knocked out till morning. Now you better hurry, you're a little late." Harry saw it was ten past and with a quick thanks, stuffed the Marauder's Map into his back pocket, threw on his invisibility cloak and hurried from the dorm. Hermione was still in the common room, working her way through Transfiguration notes. He paused then made sure no one was around before revealing himself.

"Harry! What're you doing with the cloak?" Hermione asked, also looking around them.

"There's something important I need to go do. Do you want to come?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded, not even sparing a moment to close her book, which was another surprise for Harry.

"Of course I'm coming! Merlin knows what kind of trouble you'd get into without me!"

Harry could only smile as he made sure the cloak covered him and his friend well then they proceeded out through the portrait hole. The Fat Lady seemed to have slipped away for the evening. Quietly and quickly the two hurried down to the empty classroom Harry and Bella had used lately for their Patronus practice. Bella was already there, under a Disillusionment charm.

"Harry?" She whispered when the door opened.

"It's me and Hermione, Bell." Harry whispered back, seeing the slight shimmer as Bella walked towards them. He lifted the cloak to show her and Bella briefly took off the charm to let them see her face then put it back on. "Come on. We'll have to get out through one of the first floor windows since the doors are heavily warded and Filch was skulking around earlier but he may have gone off now."

The trip took a while as they had to take several shortcuts to avoid getting surprised by Filch. Bella led them right to the room where Harry remembered being taken before the Sorting. It felt like a lifetime ago.

She did some quick spells then the window slid open soundlessly. She went out first, followed by Hermione and lastly Harry. Harry made sure to close the window then they hurried off across the grounds. Once they were safely far away enough Bella took off her charm and Harry took off the cloak.

"So what're we doing out here?" Hermione asked while they hurried towards the dark forest. Bella and Harry began filling her in on the more important details. Although shocked that Sirius Black was Harry's godfather and that the man had been at Malfoy Manor all during the holidays and even inside the school, she quickly became indignant when told of Pettigrew and his deceptions. By the time they had reached the edge of the woods, a safe distance from Hagrid's hut, she was in a righteous rage.

"Pst!" The hissing noise had all three jumping. Turning around they found Sirius standing in the shadows. "There you are. Come on then." They followed after him as he led them along the outskirts of the forest and towards the Whomping Willow.

"How did you find him?" Harry asked, matching Sirius's excited strides.

"Calixto and Crookshanks helped. Crookshanks had sniffed him out and Calixto managed to cause a distraction in Hagrid's hut while Crookshanks scared him out. I was waiting just outside in my Animagus form and caught him before he could run off."

"Brilliant." Harry praised. Sirius stopped for a moment to blink at Harry before smirking and continuing on.

The Whomping Willow stirred as they approached and Sirius held up a hand. Out of the inky night came Crookshanks with his bottlebrush tail high. He dashed forward as the tree began to quiver and touched a knot on the tree's trunk. The quivering stopped.

"Good boy Crookshanks." He said before turning into his dog form and leading them to the side of the tree. A tunnel had opened up and the three teens stared in surprise before following dog and cat through it.

"Where does this go?" Hermione wondered as they made their way along in the dark.

"The Shrieking Shack." Sirius said. Hermione gasped but Sirius laughed. "Don't worry. It's not really haunted. That was just a lie Dumbledore encouraged to..."

"To what?" Bella asked when Sirius had kept silent for a minute too long.

"Well, let's get there first and then I'll explain." Sirius said.

It was quiet except for their breaths as they followed the Animagus. Bella clung to both Hermione and Harry's hands. That feeling of "oh-crap" was back with more force than before. She couldn't figure out why. Sirius had Pettigrew and they'd be dealing with the rat at last. With Pettigrew around, Sirius would be pardoned and freed and then he could take Harry away from that accursed Dursley home.

The tunnel went on for ages it seemed. "Hey yeah, where is Pettigrew anyway?" Bella asked then.

"I put him in a cage. Calixto's guarding him now." Sirius said with a dark chuckle.

The tunnel continued for a bit more then it twisted upwards and they came out in a dusty room with boarded up windows. The teens looked around at the destruction then at Sirius who was already heading upstairs. They followed him up to a bedroom and found a cage on a ornate four-poster bed being watched over by both felines now. Crookshanks was purring loudly while Calixto was playfully batting at the cage where they saw Scabbers the rat.

Sirius picked it up, shaking the cage and causing the rat to squeak horribly.

Harry moved forward then and Sirius handed him the cage with a vindictive curl to his lips. Bella pulled Hermione off to the side. This was not their moment. The girls shared a look and then nodded to each other before perching themselves on the bed with their pets. This was between Sirius and Harry and Pettigrew.

"Will you interfere?" Bella asked quietly while Harry looked at Scabbers.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked holding Crookshanks close.

"Sirius will kill him if that's what Harry wants." Bella was certain of that fact. Although they weren't so very close yet, they were getting there, and Bella knew that if it would please Harry, Sirius would do anything.

"But...you said that Scabbers was a person..." Hermione turned to look at the rat.

"Yes."

"Then that would make it murder!"

"True." Bella looked at her friend with a soft smile. "Will you interfere?" She asked again. Hermione looked with wide eyes from the man to her friend then gave a single shake of her head. Bella smiled kindly and took her friend's hand in her own. The girls then turned to watch as Harry put the cage on a coffee table.

"I want to talk to him first." Harry said then. "Can you make him change back?"

"Of course." Sirius said, taking his wand out and pointing it at the cage door.

"Wait!" Hermione said, head whipping towards the bedroom door. "Did you hear that?"

There were footsteps downstairs. The four in the bedroom froze. Then Calixto decided to give a very loud meow.

The footsteps stopped then they heard them pounding on the steps. The bedroom door slammed open.

Harry, Hermione, Bella and Sirius held their wands aloft while looking mystified at Remus Lupin who stood in the doorway, wand also held up.

The seconds ticked by with only the rats frantic squeaking.

Slowly the professor lowered his wand, just an inch, while looking from the girls on the bed to Harry and finally to Sirius.

"Professor--" Hermione said shakily.

"Sirius." Remus Lupin was looking at Sirius, taking in his well groomed if still slightly starved form, then he turned to the teenagers. "What is going on here?"

"Well I ought to ask you that Remus." Sirius said with a jaunty smile. "Come in, have a seat."

Lupin moved automatically, heading to a seat across from the coffee table. His eyes fastened on the rat in the cage. With a quirked eyebrow he looked back up at Sirius.

"You remember our old friend Peter don't you Moony?" Sirius asked with a grin.

"Moony?" Hermione asked, eyes widening.

"Moony?" Harry and Bella looked at each other then at Remus who was staring at them with question marks in his gaze.

"It's his old nickname." Sirius said, looking at the teens himself now.

Slowly Harry reached into his back pocket and tugged out the Marauder's Map, which he'd wiped clean once they'd gotten beyond the castle. Holding it up, keeping his eyes on his godfather and professor, he tapped the parchment and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Sirius and Remus's faces lit up in the dark room as they watched the inck spiderweb its way across the parchment.

"Messrs. _Moony_, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs." Bella said her lips twitching into a smirk as she stood next to Harry.

"Where did you get the map?" The men asked in unison. Bella looked at Harry who was starting to smile.

"The Weasley twins." They replied making Hermione snort and the men blink.

Remus started to laugh but the chuckles died as he once more looked from where Sirius stood with a grin and a hand on Harry's shoulder, to how Harry was smiling and looking up at Sirius. Bella stood back once more, sitting on the edge of the bed with Hermione while Calixto and Crookshanks purred and nuzzled their mistresses. "How...?" Was all that the professor could seem to ask.

Taking a deep breath, Sirius began telling Remus the same story he'd told Harry a few weeks ago. He told Remus about the day Peter 'died' and what the rat had actually done. How he discovered where Peter was after all those years, his escape from Azkaban, how he'd ended up living with Bella and Draco. He spoke about how he'd revealed himself to Bella and how she'd offered to help him instead of turn him in. He told his old friend everything.

At the end of their tale, Remus was leaning back in his seat, staring at Scabbers aka Peter.

"Now it's your turn." Bella said, gaining the mens attention. She hopped off the bed and smiled as she held up the Marauder's Map. "Sirius said the Shrieking Shack wasn't haunted. And you had to have known about the tunnel to get in here. How did you even know anyone was here?"

Remus gave her a grin then which took years off his tired face. "Well I suspected something was wrong the first time you ran past my office." Bella just smiled when the professor tried to give her a stern look. "The second time I placed a tracking spell on you. When I was alerted that you had slipped out of the castle I tried to follow. You must have hidden yourself well. I went off in the wrong direction for few moments. The tracking spell alerted me of that and I made my way to the Whomping Willow. You are right, I do know about the tunnel and the method of freezing the tree."

"How though?" Hermione was gazing raptly at the professor, curiosity making her relax.

Remus paused then while looking over at Sirius. The two friends seemed to communicate silently then Remus nodded. "The Whomping Willow and the tunnel leading here to the Shrieking Shack were all placed there for my use. You see...I am a werewolf."

The girls gasped and Harry felt his jaw drop. Remus however was startled by the fact that although surprised, the teens weren't afraid...

"I knew it!" Hermione cheered triumphantly. When Bella and Harry turned to her she blushed and scuffed her feet on the floor. "Er well Professor Snape's essay made me suspicious and then the pieces all made sense after that..."

"Have we told you you're a genius lately?" Bella asked making Hermione smile and blush more.

"You would have noticed too if you hadn't been so troubled with the imposters and your father." Hermione assured her making Bella laugh.

Harry though, having picked his jaw up from the ground, asked "Why did you need a secret tunnel though?"

Remus winced then. "You see, back in those days, when I was first bitten, there was no cure. The Wolfsbane Potion Professor Snape has been making me is a recent discovery. Before then though, my transformation were painful and gruesome. I became a monster every full moon. Because of that, my parents thought their was no possibility of my coming to Hogwarts. But then Dumbledore became Headmaster and he devised a way for me to get my education while at the same time keeping everyone safe."

"Every full moon I was smuggled out of the castle, brought to the tunnel, then left here until the moon waned. I had no one to bite or scratch so I bit and scratched myself. The noises were terrific and the villagers thought they were hearing violent spirits. Dumbledore encouraged the rumor and so I was kept safer still. That is why people say it is haunted, even to this day." Remus smiled then. "But aside from those transformations I was happy. I had three great friends, Sirius Balck, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew, and I got to learn magic."

Hermione and Harry beamed at their professor while Bella looked down at the map. "Okay so that answers that question. Now...how come you called Professor Lupin, Moony?" Bella pinned Sirius with a look which made the man laugh.

"We created the map Bella." Sirius ruffled the girl's hair as Harry turned excited eyes onto his godfather. "See, when we found out about old Moony's condition, well we couldn't let him suffer all alone could we? So we decided to find a way to keep him company. Since we couldn't do that as humans, we thought we could be animals." Sirius smirked then. "So we became Animagi. Werewolves only hurt people after all. It took us a while but by fifth year we managed perfect transformations. We started joining Moony in the shack."

"We started to roam Hogmeade and Hogwarts on those nights." Remus said picking up the story now. "Sirius and James became such large animals that they could keep me in check. Peter was small enough to slip into the places that we couldn't, such as across the Whomping Willows attacking branches to touch the knot and freeze the tree. We learned so much during our excursions that we decided to create a map. We signed it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot. Peter was Wormtail. James was Prongs."

"Oh but that was so dangerous!" Hermione huffed. "What if you had given them the slip during your trips?"

Remus winced yet again. "A thought that haunts me still. We had some close calls but we would laugh over them in our younger days."

Bella frowned along with Hermione. She had been brought up with tales about werewolves. Then again it wasn't like his friends just let him wander around without a care. Sirius was a huge dog and James a stag.

A stag....just like...

"Professor," Bella was smiling widely by the time they all turned to her. "Did...Did Mr. Potter's stag look anything like Harry's Patronus?"

Harry jumped as if electrified then he turned with wide eyes to look at Remus, hope gleaming in the emerald depths. Sirius had told him his father was a stag Animagus. He hadn't really seen his Patronus though. Was it really a stag too?

"Exactly like Harry's Patronus." Remus said with a nod. Harry seemed at a loss for words. Bella just went on smiling while Hermione was processing everything she'd heard up to that point.

Then as one they all turned to the cage on the coffee table, where Scabbers squeaked and twisted, trying to squeeze between the bars and make a break for it.

"You said Calixto tried to snatch Peter?" Remus asked then. Sirius and Bella nodded. "Is that why you have been arguing with Mr. Weasley?" Remus asked the Gryffindors.

"He started insulting Bella because of it." Hermione growled. Harry put a hand on Bella's shoulder, glaring at the far wall. "He's never really liked Bella though. And he thinks Bella's jinxed us somehow so that we would turn on him. The idiot."

Harry made a sound like an angry dog as he slid his hand down to grasp Bella's. "Bell wouldn't do anything like that." Harry muttered, eyes closing for a moment. Bella smiled before she turned to look at the rat. Harry also looked at the rat.

"Well Harry," Remus began, standing up and drawing his wand once more. "How do you wish to proceed?"

Harry gave a start, looking from Sirius to Remus and back. "Er...well...I wanted to talk to him first." Bella gave his hand a squeeze then made to move back to Hermione's side. Harry stopped her with a shake to her hand. Bella gave him a small smile then turned cold steely eyes onto the cage that Remus was concentrating on.

The door was spelled open and Scabbers ran. Remus slammed the door shut with another spell while Sirius shot a spell at Scabbers. Twice he missed but the third caught Scabbers as he made his way to a small hole in the wall.

The rat was frozen in midair. Then there was a flash of light and he turned and grew into a person once more before their very eyes.

Peter Pettigrew stood there while Harry, Sirius and Remus moved to block the only exit. Bella stood behind Harry, not by choice though. He had pushed her behind him when they'd moved. She mentally had to laugh though. He'd let her stand by his side during the fight for the Stone and the battle with the Basilisk but he was afraid a rat would hurt her?

"Hello Peter." Remus said, his wand at his side. Bella knew though it would be up and casting a spell in the blink of an eye. "Long time no see."

"S-Sirius...R-Remus..." Pettigrew squeaked. Harry's hand tensed around Bella's wrist. She put a hand on his shoulder and felt him loosen his grip. He was getting angrier which didn't bode well at all. "My old friends..."

Sirius lifted his wand but Remus gave him a look then turned back to the squat man. "Peter, we've been having a little chat with Harry here." Remus narrowed his eyes a bit. "And he has a few questions for you."

Harry was shaking slightly and Bella made sure to keep her hand in his. No need for Harry to do something he'd regret.

"I want to know why you sold my parents out to Voldemort." Harry's voice was steely. Pettigrew seemed to sense that Harry was not going to give him any leeway.

"I-I-I didn't..."

Harry's eyes seemed to darken. "Liar!"

"I-I-I s-s-swear!" Pettigrew squealed as Harry took a step forward. "T-the Dark Lord....Y-you have no idea--!"

Harry's eyes flashed and a hiss came from his lips. "**_I _**have no idea?" He asked in a deadly quiet tone. Bella tightened her grip on his hand.

"You really think you can get away with saying that to Harry?" Sirius growled, sparks flying out of his wand. "After everything you've done to him and all that he's faced because of you!?"

"S-Sirius... I would never... I-I c-couldn't!" Pettigrew's eyes darted to the boarded up windows.

Sirius snarled and took a step towards him. "You were working for Voldemort!"

"Never! I--Why would I!?" Pettigrew was shuffling backwards now.

"You were the spy! You sold Lily and James out to Voldemort! Admit it!" Sirius nearly spit in his anger. Pettigrew shook his head and cowered before them, arms up as if to ward off physical blows.

Bella saw Hermione edging towards them then and tugged on Harry's hand. The boy turned to see his friend chewing her lip in that thoughtful way of hers. "What is it Hermione?"

Hermione jumped a little when they all turned to her, then looked at Remus. "It's just...I thought of something and... Well I mean he's been sleeping in the dorms with you ever since first year Harry." Hermione pointed out. "If he was really working for You-Know-Who then why didn't he try anything before now?"

"Ah! There! You see!" Pettigrew said latching onto Hermione's question with all the desperation of a drowning man. "I've never hurt a hair on Harry's head! Why should I?"

Black gave a short harsh laugh. "Because you never did anything unless you could see something in it for you. Why hurt Harry if all it would get you was a cell in Azkaban? You're a coward Peter, you always have been! Aside from that, harming Harry would be revealing yourself to those Death Eaters who managed to escape Azkaban and let me tell you they're not pleased with you in the least bit. Why would a filthy coward like you reveal yourself to them if there wasn't anyone to protect you? You were in the perfect position to act though, if even the smallest hint that the Dark Side was gathering strength reached your ears..."

Pettigrew shook his head, mouth agape. Hermione looked satisfied with the answer and stepped back once more.

Bella cocked her head then as she looked on then gaze Harry's hand one last squeeze and went to stand with Hermione. There was no more need to hold him back. He would know what he needed to do to get peace.

The girls stood next to the bed and watched as Remus and Sirius turned steely gazes onto the man. Harry to turned and watched Pettigrew try and look for an escape.

"B-B-But Remus! Why--Wouldn't Sirius have told you all this before!?" Pettigrew said, trying to find a way out.

"Not if he thought I could be the spy." Remus said lightly, turning to look at Sirius. "I believe that is why you didn't?"

"Forgive me. I couldn't take the chance." Sirius replied.

"I understand Padfoot. And will you forgive me for thinking you were capable of betraying Lily and James?"

"Water under the bridge Remus." Sirius said with a grin.

They turned to Harry then who was staring at Pettigrew. "Well Harry?"

Harry gave a start then relaxed and managed a small smile. "You want to kill him?"

"He deserves it." Sirius said flatly. Harry nodded and Pettigrew began to sob quietly.

"He does...but...if you kill him...then you'll be sent back to Azkaban."

Sirius blinked rapidly at his godson, wondering where this was going. Harry was shaking his head now.

"That doesn't work for me." Harry said then with a grin.

"So what do you wish to do with him?" Remus asked when it appeared Sirius couldn't speak.

"We'll....we'll take him back to the castle. Dumbledore'll believe us right? So we hand Pettigrew over to the Dementors. Let Azkaban have him." Harry said.

Sirius blinked again then frowned. "But think of what he did Harry..."

"I know. But I don't think my dad would have wanted you and Remus to go to Azkaban over a traitor like him." Harry gave a growl at Pettigrew's cowering form. "If anyone deserves that place it's him."

Bella and Hermione shared a look then. Hermione's was one of relief. Bella however looked pensive. She'd been thinking there would be a death tonight and found she wasn't satisfied with Harry's mercy.

A quick mutter and a flash of orange light had Pettigrew slamming into the opposite wall. Four sets of eyes turned to her then. She shrugged with a Malfoy smirk. "Just because you're going to spare him doesn't mean he can't have a few bruises on him."

Harry gave another shake of her head then and laughed a little. Bella was truly a Slytherin after all. He couldn't fault her for wanting a little revenge of her own...

They had Pettigrew tied up and guarded by Sirius and Remus then. It was slow going but they managed to get out of the tunnel without a problem.

Then just as they began to cross the grounds the clouds parted and revealed the full bright moon.

"Oh...." Bella gasped quietly as the moonlight illuminated the grounds and themselves. "Oh..."

She and Hermione whirled around to find Remus seizing up. Sirius had a tight grip on Pettigrew but was staring steadily at Remus.

"He's forgotten his potion!" Sirius said then, turning to the teens. "Get away! Quick!"

None of them moved. Sirius tossed Pettigrew to the ground then, trying to go over and calm Remus down as he began his transformation.

Bella sent another unknown spell at Pettigrew while running up to stand next to Harry. The spell kept Pettigrew bound on the ground. She growled when she saw him start to transform though. The bastard... Then the lightbulb wen ton in her head and she whipped her wand over the ground around him. Within the blink of an eye the ground had shifted to encase the rat in a cage of thick stone.

Turning back to the other two wizards they watched in fascinated horror as their Defense teacher began to transform.

"Run!" Sirius demanded and the teenagers actually paid attention this time. They ran.

* * *

"Explain yourselves!" McGonagall was shouting once they awoke in the hospital wing about an hour and a half later. They were all still dazed and in shock but the events of the evening warranted that.

After Sirius had told them to run, they had done so. They'd dashed into the woods and hidden in the shadows when they heard Remus's howl.

They'd heard Sirius then, obviously in dog form, barking and yapping while Remus howled and growled. Then they'd heard a yelp of pain and they had taken off in the direction of the sounds, tumbling out of the woods and to the edge of the lake.

They'd seen Sirius crouching on the bank in human form once more. He was bloody and ashen faced.

Hermione had screamed and pointed at the sky then. Looking up Bella and Harry had spotted the Dementors flocking towards them. Sirius was whimpering then he stopped and fell forward.

"Sirius!" They ran forward to try and help him but then the Dementors began swooping all around them. "Think of something happy!" Harry demanded as he whipped out his wand.

Hermione had faltered first, crashing onto the shore with a sigh. Harry had moved to stand in front of her, protecting her as he summoned his Patronus. Bella stood next to him, her own wand out, her Patronus nothing but a shimmering fog in front of her.

"Stay strong Bell!" Harry said, shaking her to keep her mind out of her own haunted thoughts. "Listen to me! Not the forest!"

"Harry?" Bella asked, staring at the Dementors with a blank face. Harry gave her another hard shake then squeezed her wrist until he was certain he'd break it. It seemed to help though, as Bella shook her head and poured more strength into her Patronus.

They tried their best but then Bella had faltered. It was enough that she fell onto the ground dragging Harry down with her.

Harry had done his best to keep himself between Sirius and the girls while trying to keep the Patronus strong.

He had fallen too though, having gotten too weak. He'd fallen forward and watched the Dementors swirl in. One reached Bella's side and it dropped its hood, revealing the horrible face, the gaping maw. Its slimy hands had wrapped around Bella's neck and pulled her up. Harry had felt anger start coursing through him, pushing away the fear. He lifted his wand and his Patronus came to life once more.

Bella was dropped at the Dementor moved away. She'd woken up and found herself being dragged back to their group.

"Oh no you don't!" Harry shouted. "Not Bell!" And he could feel the anger feeding into his spell.

Bella felt around for her wand and found Hermione's instead but she didn't care. She lifted it and shouted the incantation, focusing on all the good things she could think of. It felt like there was a warmth growing inside her.

"Think about all the good things Harry." Bella mumbled, holding onto Harry as tight as she could. His own hand was grasping her just as tightly.

Their Patronuses flickered and sputtered yet again but this time Bella and Harry were ready. They set their faces and shouted the spell.

From their wand tips burst a stag and a jaguar. The two dashed forward, scattering and pushing the Dementors as far away as possible. Once their jobs were done, the two returned and Bella and Harry shared a grin before they passed out.

When they'd awoken they were in the hospital wing, which brought them to the very irate witch fuming at them.

"Out after hours, doing who knows what, and then you are all found with Sirius Black!" McGonagall was so annoyed that her hair was falling out of its hairnet and her face was flushed.

"Sirius! Where is he!?" Harry demanded then, looking around with wide eyes.

"Black is being held in the astronomy tower..." Severus said then, glaring at Bella who was looking around just as frantically as Harry.

"What!? No! Why is he up there!?" Harry pushed the blankets off and made to get up but McGonagall pushed him back onto his bed.

"Potter calm yourself. It's all right--"

"It is not all right!" Bella growled while Severus grasped her wrists and stared at her in surprise. "He was even more hurt after we were because he tried to keep Professor Lupin from transforming! He needs to be down here with us!"

"Bella!" Severus shook his goddaughter then. "What has gotten into you! Black's a murderer--"

"He is not!" Harry said and slipped through McGonagall's grasp. "It was Pettigrew not Sirius! You have the wrong man!"

"Pettigrew!?" McGongall looked white as a sheet now. "What are you going on about Potter!?"

"Pettigrew's on the grounds professor!" Bella said. "I trapped him in a bubble of stone. He doesn't have a wand so he couldn't get out. He's probably running out of oxygen too." Bella noted then with a slight quirk to her lips.

Severus looked down at Bella then. "What are you--?"

The hospital wing doors opened to reveal Dumbledore.

"Professor!" Bella and Harry began their struggles anew. "Professor you have to release Sirius! He's innocent!"

Dumbledore held a hand up and the two fell silent. "Calm yourselves. I believe you." McGonagall and Severus began to protest then but Dumbledore made them clam up with a look. "Sirius said he saw you imprison Pettigrew." Dumbledore said and Bella nodded fervently. "Can you tell me where?"

"Just a few feet in front of the Whomping Willow Professor." Bella replied calmly. Dumbledore nodded.

"Minerva, Severus, please go search for that area. Take some of the Aurors with you."

"Dumbledore you can't possibly--"

Dumbledore's look silenced McGonagall. With looks to their charges they hurried out to do as Dumbledore asked. "Now then, while we wait, how about you tell me how you came into contact with Sirius?"

Bella and Harry saw the twinkle in those light blue eyes and relaxed. Dumbledore would look much more grave if he didn't believe them. Bella began with the first time she'd met Sirius.

By the time Severus and McGonagall returned Dumbledore was chuckling over Harry's description of one of his talks with Sirius.

"Albus?" McGonagall said to call attention to them. Dumbledore turned and smiled benignly as McGonagall ran a hand through her disheveled hair. "We...We found Pettigrew. He was unconscious but he... I thought... How...?"

Dumbledore chuckled at the normally unfazed woman and rose from his seat. "I shall be happy to explain it to the both of you on our way to the astronomy tower. We will have Sirius brought down here so that he may be certain his godson is all right."

The other professors gave a start but Harry just beamed as they walked out. Severus paused at the doors to look at Bella.

"You are grounded for the rest of your life." He stated before following after the headmaster. Bella laughed and fell back on the bed.

"It was worth it." She said making Harry snort and shake his head at her.

"Are you sure about that?" Harry wondered then, as he had before, why she bothered to stick by his side. Bella nodded and reached across the space between their bed. Harry reached out as well and twined their fingers together.

"Yes." Bella whispered sweetly before shutting her eyes and relaxing into her bed.

* * *

Sirius was laughing and it wasn't helping the ache in his side. Remus was sitting on the edge of his bed frowning while Harry gave his godfather a stern look.

"It isn't that funny!" Harry said then, reaching over to punch the man's arm. Sirius made a show of whimpering like a wounded puppy which only earned him another punch from Remus.

"Hey! It is too funny! I would have loved to have set Snape's cloak on fire personally." Sirius pouted now which didn't help his case. He got a pillow thrown at him now, courtesy of Draco who was perched on Bella's bed. Harry had awoken to find Draco yelling at his sister while she yelled right back in defense. They'd made up of course and now they'd been entertaining Sirius with stories from first and second year.

"I can't believe it was you though Granger." Draco said then as he gave Hermione a rare grin. "That takes a lot of guts." Hermione pinked but smiled just the same.

"Am I interrupting?" Dumbledore asked as he stepped into the hospital wing.

"Not at all." Remus said cheerfully. He'd woken up in the forest and had made his way to the castle earier that morning.

"Well then I just wished to inform you that the Wizengamot had made their decision." Everyone tensed but Dumbledore just beamed. "You have been granted a full pardon Sirius and an apology from Fudge. You're free my boy."

Sirius sat there still in his shock. But then Harry surprised them all by throwing his arms around his godfather and laughing. Sirius woke up them and squeezed Harry right back.

"So I can go live with you now!" Harry said and Sirius laughed and nodded.

"I have also been asked to inform the young Malfoys," Dumbledore said once the two had calmed a bit, "that your father has also been given a full pardon."

Draco and Bella gasped then turned to each other before beaming and laughing as well.

"Oh that's perfect!" Hermione cooed and Bella nodded.

"Where are we gonna live?" Harry asked and Sirius cracked a smile.

"Wherever you like Harry."

Dumbledore watched them all start to chatter and then left with a smile of his own. He had always enjoyed a happy ending.

* * *

"Father!" Bella called a few days later as they entered the cool marble entrance hall.

"We're home!" Draco added while handing his cloak to a waiting house-elf. Severus walked along behind them, still bewildered at the story his godchildren had told him over breakfast that morning. He had to hand it to them though, they were very good at keeping a secret.

"Bella, Draco...Severus." Severus gave a small jump then turned his eyes to the grand staircase where Lucius Malfoy stood in all his aristocratic glory. The man wore the trademark smirk even as Bella and Draco dashed forward to engulf him in a hug.

Severus cocked an eyebrow before allowing himself a smile. "It is good to see you my old friend."

"Likewise. It really has been too long."

Draco and Bella snorted then and rolled their eyes as the two older wizards smirked at each other.

"Great now we're going to have two dads telling us what to do." Draco said suddenly realizing what it would mean to have his father and godfather under the same roof. Bella too looked as if that thought had just popped into her head.

Lucius and Severus shared a laugh at their stricken expressions.

* * *

"It isn't much. But I thought it would be a nice place for starters." Sirius said as he opened the door to the small house in London he'd gotten. Harry followed him down a small hallway which opened up into a living room. The living room led to the kitchen and dining room. Stairs at the end of the hallway led to three bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs.

"It's great." Harry replied, flopping onto a couch with a chuckle. "Any place without the Dursleys is fine by me!"

Sirius smiled and dropped down next to Harry. They both shared a look before grinning up at the ceiling.

They were free.

* * *

**End Part Three**

* * *

_**Whew! The end of year three! It always feels good to reach another year's end. Next up: Part Four, Year Four. Till next time! Ja ne!**_


	27. A Show of Force

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

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**It's such a wonderful day in the neighborhood! Haha! Arigato for reviewing and reading my silly fanfics! I luvvles you wonderful readers! Anyways, time to mess with the universe again. After all the fic has Evil in the title for a reason. Oh and I am now 20 years old! Whoo! Hehe! **

**Everything not made up by me belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

**Oh! And I have a question! Who should Hermione end up with now that I'm pretty certain Ron's gonna keep being a prat? **

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_**Part Four**_

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_**Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Show of Force**_

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"Happy Birthday Bella!"

Bella grinned as she stared at her friends and family gathered in the Lily Garden. It was August 6th once more and she had been kept busy all morning by Hermione. Bella hadn't understood why but now it was obvious.

"Thank you!" Bella smiled as Hermione led her to the picnic table the house-elves had stretched out to fit all of them. Lucius, Severus, Sirius, Ms. Zabini, the Crabbes and the Goyles were all on one side. Blaise, Harry, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were on the other.

Last week they'd celebrated Harry's birthday in London. Bella had been pleased to see how happy Harry looked. Sirius had managed to make their little house in London a wonderful home in only a month and although Harry had confessed there were still days when he couldn't quite believe he was free of the Dursleys, he and Sirius got closer all the time.

"You look great Bell." Harry said as she sat between him and Draco. Bella blushed lightly. She was wearing a beautiful summer dress that Lucius had had made in Italy. It was the color of seafoam of was as light as fairy wings with hints of gold that glinted in the August sun. Her dark hair had been twisted into an elegantly messy knot by Hermione and around her neck was the ever present music-box charm that Draco had given her.

"Thanks Harry." Bella said and kissed his cheek, much to Draco's annoyance.

"Do you have to do that when I'm around?" Draco whined as they were served a light salad. He and Lucius had arranged for a formal four-course luncheon before the presents and cake.

Bella and Harry laughed even as Lucius gave them both a curious stare. Draco snickered then. "Bella...did you forget to tell Father something?"

"No I don't think-- Oh...." Bella blushed bright pink then making their friends look from her to Draco then to their father.

Sirius began to snigger then. "Oh don't tell me you forgot to tell Lucius?" Sirius laughed louder when Harry and Bella ducked their heads.

"Oh honestly Potter." Blaise chided then making Harry reach over and punch him. Ms. Zabini looked on with wide eyes as Blaise merely punched the Gryffindor in return.

"Harry is dating Bella Father." Draco said with a chuckle as Harry flushed.

Lucius looked at the young Gryffindor who was blushing something fierce along with Bella. The two were fidgetting while their friends laughed. Even Severus was chuckling. "Is this so?"

Harry looked at the pureblood man sitting there regally, his eyes flashing with threats he would never voice. Oddly enough, knowing that this man could and would kill him if he did anything to make Bella sad helped him gather his courage. "Yes." He said and even his blush had cooled a bit.

Lucius stared at Harry long and hard, face a mask of calm. Harry had started to learn the people around Bella tended to speak more with their eyes however and so he looked right into Lucius's silver gaze. Annoyance and worry were there, along with a flash of darkness that Harry sometimes saw in Sirius's gaze. That was the real warning. Although they were pretty much unscatched from their stays in Azkaban, Lucius and Sirius had a darkness in them that could rear its ugly head without warning. Harry took heed and inclined his head to the Malfoy patriarch.

"Very well. I will allow it." Lucius said and Harry had to roll his eyes at that while Sirius snickered.

"Even if you hadn't, Harry wouldn't have given Bella up." Sirius said and smirked when Lucius turned to glare at him. "Aw c'mon, look at them. They're adorable together. And Bella looks perfectly happy." Sirius snickered as Harry's face flamed up once more.

"Hey! No teasing the birthday girl!" Bella piped up then. Her face was red too but she had a wide grin on her face and her eyes were that sparkling mercury Harry liked best.

"Yes Black, spare us the indignity of having to put up with your idiotic remarks." Severus said then and Sirius growled at him. Severus just sneered right back and then the two fell into a bickering match. Bella and the other teens just laughed while the adults looked on in amusement.

All in all it was one of the best birthdays Bella could remember having and she went to bed that night feeling content as a kitten.

* * *

"Can we go yet? Please! Please, please, please!" Harry whined to Sirius as the man downed half a cup of coffee in one gulp. Sirius was very obviously not a morning person and Bella and Hermione had been laughing at him ever since he arrived in the east wing breakfast room. She gone to the east wing to see if Harry and Hermione were awake. Lucius had kept her very occupied ever since her birthday a week ago. She knew very good and well that most of the stuff he'd asked her to do could have waited or been done by the house-elves. Her father was just being silly now that he knew she and Harry were going out.

"Pipe down kiddo before I turn you into a slug." Sirius grumbled, unfolding the Daily Prophet. "There's no use in getting all worked up. We'll leave after breakfast."

Harry pouted, making Bella laugh lightly as she pat his arm. Hermione just shook her head at her friend while sipping her juice.

"Draco's been the same way. Father and Papa Sev got a tad bit annoyed with him." Bella's eyes flashed and Harry started to grin.

"What'd they do to him?" Hermione asked.

"Spelled his lips shut."

Sirius snickered into his cup while Harry and Hermione laughed loudly.

Sirius, Harry and Hermione had stayed in Malfoy Manor since Lucius had gotten them tickets to the Quidditch World Cup, since Bella had asked him to do so for Harry's birthday present.

Draco stomped his way into the breakfast room then, glaring as Harry began snickering. "Shut it Potter."

"Did Sev finally lift the spell?" Bella asked while grinning herself.

"No. I had to go get my wand and do it myself." Draco said, rubbing his mouth and glaring out the window. Sirius chuckled which earned him a sneering look.

"Really Draco you should know better." Hermione tsked, taking the Prophet from Sirius and starting to read it.

"No one asked you Granger." Draco snapped back. It was funny for Harry to note that his comebacks lacked the venom of before. Hermione just grinned at the blonde before continuing to read. "So when are we leaving?" Draco asked then, looking at Sirius.

"Impatient brats, the lot of you." Sirius said then, eyeing the four teens with a smirk. "Well then, since I wont get any peace, I'm going to go shower. You better all be ready by the time I finish." Sirius warned with a wink then strolled out of the room.

Draco and Harry snorted and rolled their eyes, making the girls giggle when the boys glared at each other. They were more alike than they liked to think.

"Come on then, let's wait downstairs." Bella commanded. They followed her and she just shook her head while the boys made faces at each other behind her back.

* * *

"Bell! Get back here!" Harry called as Bella dashed through the trails, laughing as she was chased by Harry, Draco and Hermione. Lucius had met up with some old acquaintances and so they'd run off, leaving the adults behind. Bella had decided it was the perfect time for tag and had lightly tapped Harry before dashing off.

"Catch me if you can!" Bella shouted cheerfully over her shoulder. She tripped then, as was bound to happen, and landed face first into a puddle of mud.

"Bella!" Draco half-whined, half-yelped as he hurried forward. Bella sat up, rubbing some of the mud off her face. "Are you okay?" He asked. Bella nodded, laughing.

"You ought to watch out. The Nargles will get to you like that." A light voice said while holding out a handkerchief. Bella took it, wiping at her face before turning and seeing a girl with dirty blonde hair and big pale eyes. They looked like a very diluted blue the more Bella looked into them.

"Who're you?" Harry asked as Bella got to her feet, and spelled the handkerchief clean before folding it up neatly and handing it back to the girl.

"My name's Luna Lovegood." Luna Lovegood said, smiling in an airy-fairy way. "And you're Harry Potter." She stated, pining Harry with a look.

"I know I am." Harry said making Draco snicker and Hermione giggle. Luna smiled pleasantly and then looked over at Bella.

"That means you're his girlfriend Bella Malfoy." Luna stated and Bella smiled while giving a nod. "You're friends with the Patils aren't you?" Luna asked.

"Was." Bella corrected, rolling her eyes. "Ever since Ginny Weasley started spreading her viciousness I've lost quite a few friends in the other houses." Bella finished with a smile but it was much sadder than Harry would have liked.

"Oh that's right. Even Padma." Luna stated, her words coming out like a sigh. "Well I don't think you're evil." She added then and Bella smiled happily once more. Luna smiled as well then turned around. "I need to go get some water for my father. I hope we can talk again soon. Perhaps on the train?" Bella nodded and Luna went off.

"She was bizzare." Draco said the minute she was out of ear shot. He took out his wand and began spelling his sister's clothes clean.

"I liked her." Bella replied and Draco snorted.

"You're dating Potter and your best friend is Granger, that's not saying much Bella." Draco replied, earning a glare from his sister. Hermione laughed while Harry rolled his eyes.

"Come on then, let's see what the vendors are selling." Hermione suggested, leading the way.

* * *

"Harry. Bella. Hermione." Mr. Weasley said calmly as they entered the Top Box. Bella hadn't thought the Weasleys would be up in the Top Box. She smiled a little though and nodded to Mr. Weasley.

"Hello Mr. Weasley." She said. He stared at her for a few seconds until Bella felt some hands on her shoulders. Looking up she saw her father's mask of cool superiority. That looked was mirrored on Draco's face.

"Ah, Lucius." Bella turned to find Cornelius Fudge reaching out his hand. Lucius took it for two seconds, giving a firm, quick shake.

"Minsiter. Thank you for your invitation." Lucius replied graciously while Bella schooled her face into a cheerful mask. Her eyes burned though and Fudge gave a visible flinch as she shook his hand.

"Minister." Bella greeted before joining Harry and Hermione at the end of the row. Draco settled down next to her wearing a proud little grin.

Hermione gave them a look then but Bella just gave her a cheerful wink. Hermione nodded. They'd talk later.

Bella settled herself into her seat, pulling up her Omnioculars and then settled back to enjoy the show.

* * *

"This way!" Harry said as he tugged on Bella and Hermione's hands. Draco was just behind them, keeping his eyes open as they ran further into the dark forest. Sirius had woken them up and ushered them away before being separated by the panicked crowd. Now the boys were protecting the girls as they wandered as far from the screaming and fire as possible. They only stopped when it was too dark to see any longer.

"Who were those people!?" Harry demanded as he sat inbetween Hermione and Bella. Hermione was shaking a little while Bella was squeezing his hand tightly. In fairness he was sure he'd left a bruise or two of his own.

"Death Eaters." Draco blurted out in his shaken state. Hermione gasped while Bella suddenly stopped squeezing Harry's hand.

"What are Death Eaters?" Harry asked then, picking Bella's hand back up with a pout. She smiled shakily at him before sighing.

"That's what our Father was. Voldemort's supports called themselves that." Draco said and Harry understood now why Bella had suddenly released him. She always worried he'd someday start hating her because of who her father had been. He really wished she'd see that he'd never do that to her.

"Oh I wish I hadn't freaked out now!" Bella huffed suddenly. "I'd like to give those--those--those bastards a piece of my mind!" She hopped up to her feet and paced restlessly while her friends gaped at her. She hardly ever cursed and even then it was simply things.

Harry and Draco shared a look then, a look that conveyed their thoughts surprisingly clearly to each other. Draco wouldn't have tried to stop Bella from giving those people a piece of her mind. And Harry didn't have a doubt that if she was allowed to, Bella would have forced the ground to open up under them all and swallowed them whole without a care for their lack of air.

It grew deathly quiet then and Bella shivered. She and Hermione huddled together while they all lit their wands and the boys kept up a lookout.

"I hope none of them got hurt." Bella murmured, thinking of Lucius, Severus and Sirius.

"No way could anything hurt any of them." Draco said and chukled. "Father and Sev are forces to be reckoned with and Sirius did _escape _from Azkaban."

Bella smiled and felt reassured. Of course, she was being silly.

A twig snapped then and they all gasped, turning towards the sound. Beyond the small cloud of light offered by their wands it was all darkness. Bella gasped as she recalled it had often gotten this dark back in that forest...

"Bell. You're still in England. Not in that Romanian forest. You're safe here with us." Harry whispered when he felt her start to tremble. Draco gave him a surprised look then nodded as Bella turned to him.

"Right, you're safe here." Draco whispered.

Another twig snapped then and Hermione stood up now, eyes narrowed as they tried to see past the darkness. "Who's there!" She demanded in a clear tone. Draco reached up and pulled her back down with a furious hiss.

"Are you trying to get yourself hexed Granger!" Draco gave her a hard little shake which made her gape at him. "Stay down!"

Hermione was still gaping and rubbing at the place where Draco had dug his fingers into her arm when they heard it. A low chuckle. Quickly extinguishing their wands they scurried behind a tree, peering around it just as the clearing they'd been in was suddenly filled with a small group of people.

"I swear I heard someone shouting over here." A woman said.

"I did as well." A man said.

"Well they're gone now." Another man grumbled before they all shared a laugh. "Ah it's been a while since we've had that sort of fun eh?" Draco gritted his teeth as he checked to make sure Hermione's bushy head was hidden. He cursed the metallic shimmers in Bella's hair as well, and hoped the tree kept the moonlight off of them.

Bella grimaced at their words and shifted slightly closer to Harry, peering around the tree even as he tried to push her back. She smacked his hand and then winced at the noise it made. The people in the clearing didn't hear it over their own laughter though. One of them lit a fire and the teens saw they were wearing black robes.

Before Harry could stop her Bella was up and marching towards the small group, startling them with her sudden appearance.

"How dare you!" Bella whispered and Draco knew the threat that was building up behind that tone. "Attacking innocent people like that! And for what reason? There are plenty other ways of amusing your worthless selves!"

There was silence then one of them cackled and walked up to Bella. "Oh? And are you offering to amuse us little one?" He asked with a lecherous laugh. The other laughed and began to crowd around but Bella stood firmly. She surprised everyone by laughing herself and half-turning to the bushes.

"I suppose I could arrange something. Isn't that right, Hermione?" Harry and Draco blinked at each other as Hermione jumped to her feet and hurried out of their hiding spot as well. The girl calmly walked into the light of the fire and pulled her bushy hair into a scrunchy she'd transfigured out of a dandelion.

"Yes I suppose." Hermione said evenly as she stood next to Bella and cocked her head at the seven people in front of them. "Shall we make them suffer a bit or just get it over with?"

"Well they did ask to be amused." Bella pointed out as she lifted her wand and pointed it at the man closest to her. "And I am a Malfoy after all. We're known for our talent at entertaining."

Hermione laughed as the man who'd spoken to Bella blanched and took a step back. "Malfoy eh?" The man peered down at Bella and Bella was sure he was taking in the Malfoy eyes, the arrogance she commanded at the moment. "Oh aye, you're Lucius's little bastard aren't you?" And the people began to laugh again. Bella smirked though, turning once more towards the trees.

"You're not going to let him get away with that, are you boys?" She asked and Harry couldn't help the smirk that came on his face as he and Draco stepped into the light as well, wands drawn and eyes narrowed.

"Of course not little sister." Draco said and the people all gasped. "Malfoys always protect their own."

Harry stepped up beside Hermione, letting Draco stand next to his sister. The Death Eaters were quiet now, looking around as if wondering who all was out there. Harry chuckled at that and decided that since they were intimidating adults, he might as well show off a bit himself. He flicked the fringe away from his forehead and let his scar show up, angry red against his pale skin. The Death Eaters took a further step back at that.

"Show-off." Draco said then and Harry spared him a grin.

"Yeah well have to keep up with the rest of you don't I?" Harry replied making Hermione and Bella laugh sweetly. "Now, are we going to just stand here or actually do something?"

Draco nodded and with a wave of his wand the seven Death Eaters were suddenly kissing dirt as he used his power to force their bodies onto the ground. He applied a bit of pressure while Bella caused the dirt to rise and made it hard for the people to breathe without taking in bits of earth. Hermione and Harry watched them do so, knowing this wasn't exactly right but also knowing these people had participated in the chaos back in the campground. They'd started to realize they were becoming more lenient towards Slytherin habits such as this. An eye for an eye after all...

"Hermione, don't hold back. I'm sure you're wanting a bit of revenge yourself." Bella called then. Hermione gave a little shiver as she looked at the Death Eaters. Harry thought he could hear the argument going on in Hermione's head. Sure they were more likely to turn a blind eye to such actions but she wasn't sure if she was ready to participate in them. Then something must have clicked for the young witch because she shut her eyes for a moment then let them open wide.

"Draco, please stand them up." Hermione asked and Draco did so. Bella quickly swirled her wand so that the earth at their feet rose and encased their legs all the way up to their knees, keeping them from escaping. Harry noticed something they'd forgotten and called out "Expelliarmus!" Seven wands came flying at him and they landed neatly at his feet.

"Good catch Potter." Draco remarked then and Harry chuckled, knowing how hard that must have been for the blonde to say without a hint a sarcasm.

"Thank you Malfoy."

Hermione focused and Draco arched an eyebrow when he heard her muttering Latin words under her breath. Turning to his sister for an explanation made Bella smirk.

"Our friend Hermione here is a Muggleborn." Bella said then to the Death Eaters. They snarled but Hermione was now moving her wand and paying very little attention to anyone else. "Yes Muggleborn...but her power far exceeds her blood status. Do you hear her murmuring? It is a spell she learned from one of the books in the Malfoy library. A spell that will make your ears shrivel, causing you to go deaf, it will cause your nails to fall out, and it will knot your tongues and stick them to the roof of your mouths."

Harry had to gulp a little at the description as Hermione's eyes snapped open and a wave of yellow-green light flew out of the tip of her wand, flowing over the seven Death Eaters and making them start to gag and scream brokenly as their nails fell out, their ears shriveled and their tongues twisted and became stuck. Hermione looked very proud of herself while Harry gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"Granger, remind me to never piss you off." Draco said then, and Harry and Hermione turned to find him looking at Hermione with a bit of newfound respect in his eyes.

"I'll be happy to Draco." Hermione said then, turning to Harry. Harry looked at the three of them then smirked and turned to the Death Eaters. He cocked his head then, wondering what he could possibly do to these people.

He grinned suddenly as an idea came to mind. _"Do you think it's still fun now? See what your stupidity got you into? You're getting your arses whipped by fourteen year olds!" _Harry said, stepping forward slowly, grinning more as the Death Eaters gaped then began to shudder. _"And you," _Harry turned to look at the man who'd leered at Bella before. _"I know what you were thinking of doing to Bell. Don't think I'll let you get away with that. Bell's mine." _Harry paused then. Well that was a rather possessive thought wasn't it? _"She's all mine." _Harry added then, smirking once more. It felt good to say, even if he'd never say it in English. _"So you don't get to think of her like that." _

The Death Eaters were shuddering and one was sobbing as Harry looked over at them. Then he raised his wand and was about to use a spell Hermione had shown him that would make someone's eyelids and nose seal shut when they heard a cackle and then another shout.

"_Morsmordre_!" The Death Eaters cried out as a flash of light lit up the sky and emerald stars became the shape of a skull and snake.

Suddenly Harry felt himself being yanked backwards by several hands. "Wait! What--? What's that thing!?" Harry asked, yanking himself free and looking at Hermione and Bella who were staring up at the sky with fear in their eyes.

"It's the bloody Dark Mark Potter!" Draco growled, grabbing his shirt and yanking him forward again. "The Dark Lord's mark! Come on and move!"

They had gotten a few feet away when suddenly Hermione let out a shriek.

"Hermione it's all right it's just me!" Sirius said, returning to his human form. Hermione sank bonelessly to the ground then.

"Oh Sirius don't do that!" Hermione scolded before blushing and realizing she'd scolded an adult. Sirius managed a small chuckle before helping the girl to her feet.

"Come on you four. Let's get you somewhere safe." Sirius said then, heading towards the clearing the teens had just left. They froze for a moment before following after him. The fact that they had just used their magic to subdue seven Death Eaters was finally asserting itself in their minds. They would be in so much trouble...

When they reached the clearing again they found some Ministry officials along with Lucius and Severus standing there, staring at the Death Eaters who were babbling and trying to get free of the earth holding them in place.

"And then they--" The man who'd spoken to Bella froze in midsentence as Sirius led the teens over to them. "There they are! The little monsters!" One of the women shouted, pointing at the teens. She fell over however and there was a sickening sort of snap that followed.

"What's going on Sirius?" Harry asked, turning to Sirius who looked from the captured Death Eaters to Harry.

"Nothing Harry, don't worry about it." Sirius told him with a wink. Harry nodded.

"Father?" Bella called then, as she and Draco walked over to Lucius. "Can we go home yet?" She looked up at the sky then and trembled.

Lucius chuckled softly and pat her head. "In a moment Bella. These people say they were attacked by you."

Bella looked at the Death Eaters then before allowing her face to become confused and slightly terrified. "By us Father?" She asked and Draco had to turn away to hide a smile. Then he schooled his face into a grumpy mask and looked up at Lucius.

"But Father, we weren't anywhere near here. Sirius found us all the way over there." Draco pointed in the direction they'd come from.

"Filthy little rodents." One of the Death Eaters hissed then. "I'll get you! Just you wait!"

Bella looked right at him and allowed herself to smirk for a moment before letting herself look like a scared child once more. "Father." She said and turned to hide her face in his chest.

"That's enough!" Fudge huffed and turned to some Aurors. "Take this filth away!" He ordered and they did as they were told, binding them with ropes then blasting them free of the earth and spinning in place, Apparating them to the Ministry. "I'm terribly sorry Lucius." Fudge was saying now.

Bella turned and looked at Hermione and Harry who were looking right at her. She grinned then and they fought to keep the grins off their faces. They had just gotten away with messing with adult wizards in front of the Minsitry and everybody.

It was rather funny once you thought about it.

* * *

"We really shouldn't have." Hermione was saying as they sat in the Bella's special study in the west wing. It was cold and soggy outside. They were getting their trunks all settled, and they hoped the rain would let up by tomorrow. Considering how steadily it was pelting the windows however, they highly doubted it.

"Oh lighten up Granger." Draco told her, tossing her a Pumpkin Pastie and then throwing one at Harry, who caught it one handed with his unerring Seeker skills. Draco grumbled then let it go. "We're Slytherins and for all your notions of right and wrong you might as well be one. Taking justice into our own hands is part of that. And admit it, you liked showing off to those idiots." Draco needled, making Hermione blush.

"Besides it's not like we hurt them." Bella said while piling her new textbooks into her trunk. "We simply gave them a good scolding." She grinned while her brother and friends laughed. "I think Harry's Parseltongue did the most damage though." Bella added then making Harry turn pink.

"You guys actually did something. All I did was talk." Harry muttered.

"Parseltongue is a great spell all its own Potter." Draco said then, surprising Harry with the fact that he sounded serious about it. "They were merely getting pissed off when we did our spells. But when you started hissing at them...they were wetting themselves." Draco snickered then.

Harry looked over at Bella who was giggling as well. She met his eyes then and nodded. "You would have made a wonderful Slytherin Harry." She said then, making Harry blink at her while Draco snorted and Hermione giggled.

"Er..if you say so Bell." Harry said, rubbing the back of his head. Bella smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

"I do say so Harry." Bella replied, shutting her eyes for a moment. "You would have been a force to reckon with." She added then.

"He already is." Hermione said then, patting her friend's shoulder. "He's just a little too soft." Harry gaped at Hermione who started laughing.

"Well our little show of force was a start." Bella stated then, making Draco chuckle.

"Blaise will be sad he missed it." Harry said with a growing grin. Draco stared at him for a second then began to laugh along with the girls and Harry.

* * *

Lucius, Severus, and Sirius sat in the parlor, watching the rain beat on the windows while sipping at some brandy.

"Did they truly do all that?" Sirius asked as they listened in on the children's conversation.

"You shouldn't be so suprised Black." Lucius said then, holding his cup out for Beezle to refill. "These are the same children who faced the Dark Lord, who protected you from Dementors, who have unmasked imposters and broken more rules than Severus cares for." Lucius nodded to his friend who refrained from rolling his eyes as Sirius snickered. Severus took a sip and nodded.

"Lucius has a point Black. Those children have many more surprises hidden up their sleeves." Severus murmured while Sirius turned to the window and stared out at the rain.

The men were quiet as they contemplated what exactly those surprises would be.

* * *

_**And that's end for now. Seemed like a nice way to start the fourth part. Hehe, things will pick up speed next chapter! **_


	28. To Start an Empire, Just Add Weasleys

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

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**Arigato for the reviews! Here's to all y'all who love Waga Routashi! **

**Everything not made up by me belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

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_**Part Four**_

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_**Chapter Twenty-Eight: To Start an Empire Just Add Weasleys**_

_**---**_

Harry couldn't make up his mind about the girl sitting next to Bella. They were all in the same compartment, since Bella had insisted and Harry found it hard to say no to her these days. Hermione too had appeared a bit reluctant to join their friend in the blonde girl's company but once Bella Malfoy decided something, they knew it was like trying to compete with a force of nature. Best to just go along with the girl.

So here they were. Hermione sat next to the window, Bella sat next to Luna Lovegood, and Harry sat across from the girls while Draco rounded up Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle.

_It's a bit funny, how I think of them so easily nowadays when before they were the people farthest from my mind. _Harry wondered to himself as Bella and Hermione peered down at the aritcles in the Quibbler, the paper that Luna's father was editor of. Hermione had given it the same look she'd often given to Harry's Divination homework but had kept quiet. Harry had shared a grin with her however which had relaxed Hermione. Bella was looking through it with interest while Luna spoke of why her father printed such articles and something called a Nargle.

The door slid open and Harry turned, expecting to see a tall black boy or a wall of thick muscle, instead what caught his eye was a flash of red hair.

"Ah there you are." Fred and George said as they hopped into the compartment and plopped down on either side of Harry. Harry grinned at both of them. Due to the Weasleys continued non-contact with Bella, it had been hard to keep in touch with the twins over the summer. But the twins had still sent plenty of letters and had even managed to get both Harry and Bella nice birthday gifts with the use of their ancient bird Errol which consisted mostly of joke objects that they'd been working on. Bella and Harry both had found great amusement with the trick sweets and had promised to help the twins further their work.

"Hello boys." Bella turned to Luna then. "Luna these are Fred and George Weasley. Fred, George, this is Luna Lovegood. She's a third year."

Luna appraised both boys before giving them a mystical smile. "I've heard about you. You're pranksters."

"Ah our reputation proceeds us once more." Fred stated while George laughed. "A pleasure to meet you Miss Lovegood." They said together while giving her jaunty bows. Then they settled right back down and threw their arms aorund the ebony-haired boy's shoulders. "You know, there is something not quite right here." George commented all of a sudden. Bella and Hermione looked at him while he rubbed his chin and Fred looked around before his eyes lit up. George grinned at him then the twins got up and as one pulled Bella out of her seat and pushed her into Harry's lap. Harry's arms came up instinctively to keep her from toppling over.

Then then compartment door opened again, and this time it was a gaping blonde that graced Harry's eyesight. Draco took two seconds to spot the Weasley twins before his face became a mask of calm and he strolled into the compartment with Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

"Ah young Master Malfoy." Fred said, and the twins gave him a bow as well, which caused a few raised eyebrows and laughter from Harry, Hermione and Bella. Luna watched on with a dreaminess that couldn't ever be faked and a smile of pleasure on her face. "Good of you to join us. Sit sit! My brother and I have much to discuss with all you little cretins."

Draco frowned before turning to Harry and cocking an eyebrow at him. Harry looked up at him then realized he was still holding Bella very tight. He blushed but for once he didn't react in the way Draco expected. He helped Bella slip into the seat next to him but kept an arm around her waist. Harry looked at Draco then and cocked his own eyebrow.

Blaise chuckled then and settled down next to Harry with a friendly grin on his face. "Well that Gryffindor idiocy finally came in handy." Blaise commented and their friends began laughing easily. Draco rolled his eyes as he sat down next to Bella. Luna schooched over and made room for Crabbe and Goyle, leaving Fred and George the only ones standing. They turned to Bella with very serious looks on their faces.

Before they could speak however, the compartment door slid open once more and revealed a very grateful looking Neville. "I was hoping I could find you guys." He said as he looked around. "Er but if you don't have any space...."

"Nonsence Neville." Bella thought for a second then laughed and sat back on Harry's lap. He blushed again but didn't say anything as Bella motioned for Neville to take her spot.

"Bella Luciana..." Draco growled and Harry had to blink because that was the first time he could remember hearing Bella's full name. "Get off his lap right now." Draco demanded, his eyebrow twitching while their friends snickered.

Bella gave her brother a look then shook her head. "Harry isn't going to hurt me Draco so hush." She gave Neville a friendly smile then turned back to the twins who were grinning. "You had something important to say?" She said sweetly while taking Harry's hand in her own and giving him a quick grin over her shoulder. Harry felt Draco's evil eye on him but he just shifted a little so that he could better see the twins.

"Okay now that we have your undivided attention--" Fred began.

"We feel it's time to bring up a certain fact that occured to us last year." George finished.

"Now we thought about this idea because well we were bored--"

"--With Ginny and Ron all summer long--"

"--We got grounded for giving them slimy black hair--"

"--But we digress--"

Fred and George turned back to Bella. "Remember that little comment Harry made last year, about having an empire by the end of the year?"

Bella frowned thoughtfully, thinking back over the last year. "Vaguely yes." Bella replied at last. She'd had many other things on her mind after all.

The twins grinned. "Well considering the rumors we've heard about what you all did this summer--" George said and Bella realized the Aurors must have spread the Death Eaters accusations, if only for a good laugh.

"Why not?" Fred asked, looking quite serious once more.

"Why not what?" Draco piped in then.

The twins shared a look then before everyone they dropped down to their knees and bowed their heads in Bella's direction. "Why not make an empire?" They whispered.

Silence fell over the teenagers for a few seconds as they processed what the twins were actually saying. Bella turned to look at Harry, who was looking up at her with his mouth slightly parted. Harry could remember now exactly what he'd said to her those few weeks ago.

_"Keep this up and you'll have an empire by the end of the year."_

He'd only been teasing her at the time. It had been in response to how much support she was getting as well as the fact that he'd begun to learn of how she was treated like a princess in Slytherin.

Now though, he had known the Weasley twins long enough to know they weren't joking. They remained on the floor of the compartment, heads bowed, eyes on the floor, not moving an inch.

"An empire." Bella said at last, breaking the silence. "What sort of empire?" She questioned.

"Our own sort." George said, keeping his eyes downcast. "Where Houses don't matter. Where we choose the rules and choose how to enforce them."

"Why do we need an empire?" Bella pressed on. Harry watched, a bit in awe at the way she was calmly considering this instead of laughing it off as a joke as he would have done. Then again, they could be complete opposites at times. Harry wondered why she was at his side sometimes. Not that he was complaining. Whatever kept her close to him, he just hoped it continued to keep her there.

"Because we are outsiders." Fred said now, looking up at Bella and grinning. "Because a club sounds so juvenile and a gang sounds too violent."

There were chuckles at Fred's words. Luna Lovegood however, merely smiled a dreamy smile and nodded along with the redhead's words.

"Okay but empire implies some sort of leadership." Bella said then, her eyes turning into that mercury shade that Harry loved.

Fred and George grinned then. "Which is why we turn to you, oh Slytherin Princess. Be our empress and lead our empire."

Hearing the twins talk in unison usually made people laugh. Right now however, their words were so solemn, their faces were so honest, that laughter was far from all their minds.

Bella turned her head to look at Draco then, who was wearing a Cheshire Cat grin.

"Empress Bella." Draco said then, his eyes turning into molten silver. "It has a rather nice ring to it."

Hermione laughed then. "I never thought I would be witness to the birth of an empire." Her brown eyes were sparkling. "It would be an awfully good experiment to be sure."

The twins smiled at each other before turning back to Bella. "And of course, every empress needs an emperor." They turned to Harry then who turned bright red.

"Why're you looking at me?" He demanded and the compartment once more filled with laughter.

"Well Harry, you are sort of dating Bella aren't you?" Neville said, and it was because the boy was usually so shy that Harry managed to only flush a deeper red.

Draco snorted delicately then and stood up, his eyes flashing with wonder and glee. "If we're to have an empire then Potter would have to marry Bella for him to be called emperor." Harry and Bella both burned pink then. "But since she's too young and I'm not going to just hand her over--"

"Hand me over?" Bella asked in a deadpan tone. Draco beamed at her. "When did I become a Famous Wizards card?"

Harry turned to Hermione who was looking eagerly from the twins to the Malfoys. "Okay wait, hold on." He said, holding up his hands and stopping the mutterings that had started. "Okay I'll go along with this empire thing but how exactly is that going to happen? Its not like we can just go and take over Hogwarts or something."

Draco's eyes took on an odd glow then and his lips turned up in one of the most gleeful grins Harry had ever witnessed on the boy's face.

"Who says we can't?" Draco asked in a hushed whisper.

Harry looked at him, then turned his face up to look into Bella's mercury eyes. She wasn't wearing a grin or looking like this was turning into a ridiculous conversation. She looked like she was seriously contemplating this.

"An empire does not depend on the land, but the people." Bella whispered then, her eyes closed. Harry continued to stare up at her with his eyes wide. "After all, aren't we wizards an empire in essence? We are united even if hidden from sight. A wizard will help a fellow wizard, even if they come from different ends of the world. So why can't we have an empire of our own within Hogwarts?"

"Er...what?" Goyle said then. He wasn't as thick as people thought he was but all this talk about empires was making his mind whirl.

"Oh let's do it!" Hermione burst out then, giggling when everyone turned to look at her. "Bella, you and Draco can be our leaders. And we'll be your knights!" Hermione jumped out of ehr seat then, reaching over to pull Bella to her feet as well. "And we'll decide what we like, what we don't. Like a club, we'll hold meetings and share information. We can see how far we can go. And..." Hermione suddenly became as serious as the Weasley twins. "You-Know-Who is out there. We've all seen him. Wouldn't it be nice, to have a group that will stand by you?"

Bella turned to Draco once more and Draco donned that gleeful expression. "I like the idea. Emperor Draco."

Blaise and Harry snickered as they had the same image of Draco covered in furs and wearing an oversized crown.

Fred and George chuckled. "So what do you say Bella?"

Bella blinked at them, cocking her head. "Why do I have to give final say?" She wondered then. The twins bowed low to her.

"We trust you." The twins said simply but to Bella those words meant more than she'd ever be able to express.

"Thank you." She told them as she sat back down in Harry's lap. "If you really want my opinion though, you'll have to wait. I want to think this through."

"We await your final say Lady Bella."

Bella chuckled as the twins plopped down on the floor and pulled out some of their trick sweets. Harry and Bella kept quiet about it, knowing their friends needed unsuspecting testers. Harry was busy wondering what in the heck had brought on all this talk of empires from the Weasleys of all people. Bella however, Bella was contemplating the idea of an empire.

Their very own group of trusted people. Their own rules. It sounded absolutely delightful. And frightening. She was a Malfoy after all. Power was in their genetic makeup. Would it be wise to give herself that much power though? She relaxed herself and let her mind drift away.

* * *

"I think it would be a good idea." Luna Lovegood said, by way of greeting. The Start of Term feast had had passed with no more talk of empires and plenty of talk of the upcoming Triwizard Tournament. The following morning had allowed no time for anyone to further broach the subject as they all rushed about to their classes. In fact now was the first time in the entire day that Bella had had a moment to actually recall their odd conversation. Luna had dropped out of nowhere it seemed and sat beside Bella at the Slytherin table, ignoring the looks she got from the others. Bella threw a general warning glance at all of them then turned to Luna who was calmly serving herself some pot pie.

"Why do you think that?" Bella asked, peering closely at Luna. The girl had a certain something about her. An aura of openness and mystical properties that left Bella intrigued. She could sense something about this girl was special and knew that to befriend her would be a most magical thing.

Luna took a bite of her dinner before she spoke. "If you listen, the wind is warning us." Luna spoke so softly that no one but Bella could hear her. Luna's pale blue eyes closed and that dreamy expression stole over her features once more. "Listen Bella Malfoy. I am sure the earth will speak to you too."

Bella gasped as Luna's eyes opened and pinned her with a knowing look. Bella stared at the younger girl with awe in her eyes. "What do you know about the earth?" She asked Luna.

"I know it bends to your will." Luna replied. "Just as the wind bends to mine." And Luna waved her hand a little, creating a little whirlwind in her goblet which created a tiny cyclone. Luna waved her hand again and the cyclone dropped with a liquid plop.

Now Bella understood why she was drawn to this girl. Luna Lovegood held an elemental power as well. That was what she'd sensed. Luna's pale blue eyes met her mercury ones with a bright smile.

"What does the wind say Luna?" Bella asked then. Luna held a finger to her lips and shut her eyes.

"Listen to the earth Bella, they're saying the same thing." Luna replied.

"Okay." She promised and Luna nodded then got up and left, leaving the Great Hall without a care in the world it seemed.

Bella would listen more closely to the earth and think about what Luna had said.

* * *

Harry grinned as Bella hurried up to them with Hermione and skidded to a stop in front of DADA on Thursday. "We were in the library." Hermione explained as they hurried inside the classroom.

"What were you doing there?" Harry asked as he, Hermione and Bella managed to get the table right in front of the professor's desk. Ron, Dean and Seamus threw them all dirty looks as they took the table across from them. Harry didn't rightly care. His first few days back in Gryffindor Tower were tolerable thanks to Neville but he'd asked Blaise and Draco for some spells to keep him and Neville safe from pranks and anything else the Gryffindors might try and do to them. He'd never thought he'd see a day when he had to fear more from his fellow lions than the supposedly evil snakes.

"Researching the ancient Roman and Greek wizarding empires." Hermione replied with a giggle. Bella smiled as Harry cocked an eyebrow at her.

"So have you decided?" Blaise asked softly from the table behind him, which he shared with Draco and surprisingly Neville, noting how the Gryffindors were paying close attention to them.

Bella cast a superior look at them all then pulled her curled hair over her shoulder with a nod. "I'll tell you about it later Harry." She promised as the door opened and in clunked Mad-Eye Moody. Bella couldn't decide whether she disliked him or not yet. She'd reserve judgement for later on this man.

Mad-Eye was teaching them curses, which Bella had to admit fascinated her. The Malfoy library was filled with books on all sorts of curses--legal and otherwise--that Lucius had warned her were beyond her level at the moment. She had smuggled a few out anyway, intent on learning some to impress her father with when she went home for the summer holidays.

Moody asked for the names of the heavily punished curses and several hands rose. Moody pointed to Ron who named the Imperius Curse. Bella watched as Moody cursed a spider and made it start to tap-dance. Everyone else laughed but she could only see the memory of her father being cursed by Voldemort. Moody too wasn't laughing, and he shut everyone else up after a second.

The next was given by Neville and it was called the Cruciatus Curse. Neville shuddered as Moody tortured an Engorged spider.

After that stopped there came the final one. Hermione whispered it with a glance at Harry. "Avada Kedavra."

"Ah, yes. The last and worst. The Killing Curse..." Moody said as he took the final spider out of the jar and set it on his desk. He cast the curse and the spider, which had been scuttling off towards freedom suddenly rolled onto its back, dead.

Bella took Harry's hand in her own the moment Hermione spoke the curses name and felt his grip tighten as they watched the spider die. Bella had known about that one. Lucius had told her that was probably what had killed her mother and aunt. Bella had asked and Lucius had told her of the worst curse of all, the one Bella was never to learn. Avada Kedavra. The Killing Curse.

Harry's grip tightened more as he thought about his parents deaths, recalled the details from his experience with the Dementors the year before. He had been picturing it in his head, and now he had seen what had ended their lives. A curse that had just stolen the living breath from them, left them unmarked and unharmed in any other way.

Then, without any warning at all he had the sudden image of Bella being hit with green light and crumpling to the ground like a broken doll. His grip tightened so much that he felt Bella wince. But she didn't try to move away. He relaxed and turned to look at her as Moody continued speaking. Bella was smiling sadly, looking at a loss as to what to say. He just gave a slight shake of his head and held her hand much more gently.

When their lesson was over Bella tugged Harry away from the others and took him outside onto the grounds for a walk. They didn't say much until they reached a nice little secluded spot by the lake. Bella sat down after spreading out her cloak and Harry sat down right beside her, leaning back on his hands and staring up at the sky.

"Father says that's likely how Mama died too." Bella told him then, looking out over the lake. "That is if...you know...the torture didn't kill her first."

Harry paled, wondering if the Cruciatus was used on the real Mireya Diaz.

"I kind of hope there wasn't a lot of that." Bella murmured then. Harry hoped so as well. They were quiet for a few moments then Harry smiled and looked out over the lake again. "So why were you researching old empires?" He asked, recalling what the girls had said earlier in class. Bella smirked and pulled him to his feet, spinning a little as she led him back inside.

"We're practically outcasts here Harry." Bella said softly. "And I just have this feeling that things are going to be hard this year." Bella shut her eyes, feeling the earth beneath her feet and breathing in the smell of the lake and the muddy ground surrounding it. "So having people we can depend on would be a very good thing wouldn't it?" She asked, turning to the dark-haired boy. Harry nodded, watching her as she skipped ahead of him, then whirled around, her finger pointing at him. Her eyes swirled with emotions as Harry watched her.

"Would you become my Knight, Harry? If I wanted you to?" She asked him and Harry relaxed the little bit of tension that had been in his shoulders. He reached for Bella's hand, pushing it down and then pulling her closer to him. Their noses touched and Bella smiled as Harry spoke.

"I'd do anything you asked me to do Bell." He promised. Bella looked ready to say something herself when suddenly they heard their names being called. Fred and George were skipping over to them, holding a plain brown paper bag and wearing big grins on their identical faces. Harry chuckled and pulled Bella along with him to meet up with the tricksters.

* * *

Friday morning found Harry skipping class. He hadn't meant to, but Bella had asked so sweetly that he'd found himself agreeing. Draco would give him hell for it later and no doubt Snape would deduct a hundred points from him. He found he didn't care though, as he walked through the last of the summer sunshine with Bella's hand firmly in his own. They were out on the grounds, far from the castle, walking along the edge of the forest.

"You know I've really been thinking about what Fred and George said." Bella spoke up suddenly, her eyes on a patch of daisies. Harry looked over at her, liking the way the sunlight played on her black hair. There were no streaks in it today, and he found he liked it even better that way.

"It just seems so silly to call us an empire." Bella continued to say, finally turning to meet Harry's eyes. He smiled, encouraging Bella to keep speaking. "But it feels sort of right in a way. Let's face it, we couldn't be an ordinary group of friends in a club or a gang or a common group of any sort. You're Harry Potter for starters. I'm a Malfoy. Hermione's one of the most brilliant witches to have ever lived. Draco can control space for pity's sake, he's like Darth Vader or something." Harry blinked at her Muggle reference and she giggled before pressing on.

"I want to have that though. A group of people I can truly depend on. A family of sorts." She tugged on his hand and kissed his cheek then, making Harry grin. "I want you to be by my side." She added, looking away from Harry as she said it. Harry turned her face back to him and kissed her cheek in return.

"You've always been at my side Bella. So of course I'll be by yours." He told her making her beam at him. She swung their hands a little then gently tugged to get Harry moving again.

"I can see it rather well acutally." She muttered after a minute of silence. Harry looked to her and found she had her eyes shut and a dreamy expression on her face. "I'd make Draco the leader, an Emperor. And I'd be the princess. The rest of you would be our Knights and we'd hold court and make alliances and give Voldemort a good kick in the arse." Harry laughed then, making Bella's eyes snap open. She giggled as well then leaned against him.

"Harry...what if I get a little carried away?" She mumbled.

"I would tell you if you did that." Harry replied easily enough.

"What if I didn't want it to just be some silly game?"

"I'd go along with it anyway."

Bella pulled away and looked up at him. She could remember, back in first year, when she'd made the decision to be on whatever side Harry was on. Dark or Light, she had decided to follow him either way. But what the Weasleys were suggesting...it was a sort of middle ground wasn't it? They'd be making their own rules, dishing out their own punishments, being a gang, a band as thick as thieves. And Harry was promising to be by her side.

"Let's do it then." Bella chirped happily, turning around and starting to run back towards the castle. Harry blinked at the sudden return of her good cheer then rushed after her. He wouldn't be left behind for all the Galleons in the world.

* * *

"Wow Bella." Hermione touched the sheet of parchment on which Bella had written the beginnings of their empire. Their friends gathered around the library table on Saturday morning, peering over at the parchment too.

Bella and Harry had spent the rest of Friday in the Slytherin house. They'd gone to Bella's room and started plotting everything out together. When the Slytherin boys had found them in there--after Draco had a tantrum about Harry being alone with Bella in her room--they had added their comments and things they'd like to see added to their plans.

So there it sat, an innocent enough looking parchment with a list of their names, followed by their status in the empire.

Draco was called Emperor. Bella had chosen the title of Princess. Blaise was the Royal Advisor and Commander of the Knights. The rest were just Knights. After that list came a set of seven rules, which were being looked over by the Gryffindors. Hermione already had a quill out and was adding onto the rules.

"It seems a little off." Luna stated, making the boys jump once again. Hermione and Bella just seemed able to sense when they girl was approaching.

"How so?" Blaise asked her, frowning at the Ravenclaw. Luna gave him a small glance then turned to Bella.

"We need better titles." Luna replied. Bella hummed thoughtfully.

"The titles are just fine." Hermione puffed.

Luna cocked her head then shook it. Neville spoke up then. "But Hermione...I mean we aren't exactly going to be spreading this around are we? And what if we wanted to talk about what happened during one of the meetings? If we wanted to talk about what another Knight discussed, without revealing who that was to anyone who's eavesdropping..." Neville trailed off with pink dusting his cheeks.

"Longbottom, that actually made sense." Blaise said then and Neville blushed more but grinned.

"Hmm...." Draco looked around then. They were in a little dusty nook of the library that was close to the Restricted Section, which made it a perfect place to avoid being spied on. That and Blaise and Hermione had cast a few enchantments that would muffle their voices from passersby.

"Well if we want to use them to distinguish between you..." Bella murmured as she took the parchment and picked up her quill. "Then the additions to your titles ought to be something that associates with you." She bit the end of the quill for a second before dipping it in the ink and scribbling away.

Soon Bella set down the parchment and with a grin asked, "What do you think of those?"

They all gathered around and read the list to themselves.

Hermione was the Scholarly Aegis. Fred was the Trap Master. George was the Trap Maker. Crabbe was the Dungeon Keeper. Goyle was the Dungeon Enforcer. Neville was the Gentle Creator. Luna was the Mystic Wind. And Harry was the Imperial Warrior.

"Wow Bell." Harry said at last, grinning at her as she beamed up at him.

"Now it is perfect." Luna stated.

"Why the Gentle Creator?" Neville asked, looking at his title with a smile.

"Your best subject if Herbology Neville, and I've seen some of the plants you've grown for Professor Sprout." Bella replied making Neville grin once more.

They talked over the rules, adding six more by lunch time.

"I'll clean it up and put everything into a nice sort of order." Bella promised as they headed down to the Great Hall. "I'll have it ready by tomorrow."

"Then we should have our first real meeting tomorrow." Fred said.

"Yes we should." Draco agreed. He then paused in midstep, his mind reeling with the fact that he'd agreed with a Weasley. The look of utter disbelief on his face made the others grin. Draco shook it off and sneered at Fred before speaking. "We can't do it in the Grotto. So where should we meet?"

They were all silent as they contemplated a place that would be secretive enough for their first meeting. It came to Harry like a lightbulb turning on.

"Meet us outside near the greenhouses tomorrow." Harry said as he took Bella's hand and turned them around. "I think I have the perfect place." Before anyone could say anything more, Harry was pulling Bella towards Gryffindor tower.

Bella laughed as Harry suddenly pulled her through a false wall and into a dark corridor. "The Shrieking Shack." Harry blurted out. Bella looked confused for a moment then her face lit up.

"Of course!" She laughed and threw her arms around Harry, giving him a big hug. Harry grinned once she pulled back, his eyes wide and lips stretched into a toothy smile. Harry's smile slowly faded and he leaned forward until his forehead touched Bella's. She smiled softly and kept her arms around him.

It was still surprising to Harry, how easily he could do stuff like this now. He couldn't even remember how it started. Bella had held his hand, he'd reached for hers. Maybe it was because of the Dementors last year. Maybe they'd helped get rid of most of his fear when it came to being close to someone. Bella wouldn't hurt him. She would protect him whatever the cost. She'd shown that time and time again.

"Aww, aren't they just precious George?"

"They sure are Fred."

Harry jumped and turned to pout at the Weasley twins who were grinning from ear to ear and standing a few feet away. "Go away." Harry demanded making them laugh. He pouted more and was getting ready to yell at them to get lost when he felt Bella lean forward and give him a quick peck on the lips. He stared at her, stunned, and she smiled then turned to Fred and Geroge who were gaping at them.

"You guys sure know how to ruin a perfectly good moment, you know that?" Bella scolded teasingly as she pulled Harry out of the corridor and into the main hallway. Fred and George blinked then chuckled and grinned once more.

"But letting you have a moment of peace would be utterly boring Princess." George replied. Harry snorted, glaring at the twins before his own good humor overcame his annoyance.

That, and when he licked his lips he tasted a bit of Bella's lip gloss.

Turning his head a little he looked over at her and found her smiling sweetly, like all was perfect in the world. He liked that expression on her face the best, he decided.

Bella for her part, was mentally squealing at the fact that she'd kissed Harry on the lips. Okay more like bumped her lips on his but hey, it still counted! She felt her lips threatening to twist into a grin and fought it back. Instead she just relaxed and felt Harry's hand in her own, while ignoring the sing-song teasing of the twins.

* * *

Fred and George had various reasons for starting this whole empire talk. Mostly they revolved on things they'd heard during their summer. They were sure they won't supposed to hear most of it but they were very glad they did.

Dumbledore had been in touch with the Weasleys, and from the discussions Molly and Arthur had had, the twins had gathered that Dumbledore was worried about the rift between Harry and the Weasleys. Dumbledore it seemed, wanted to keep Harry separated more from the Malfoys and the Slytherins. He felt they were a bad influence on Harry and asked the Weasleys to try and win him back over.

That seemed innocent enough, except that the twins had seen how happy Harry was with the Malfoys, more importantly how happy he was with Bella. And they wouldn't let Dumbledore ruin the boy's happiness. They just didn't want to think about how miserable poor Harry would be without Bella around.

So they had racked their brains. They'd wondered how they could warn Harry without getting caught.

And then they'd remembered Harry's teasing comment about Bella making and empire and it had been like the sun cutting through the clouds. Of course. Create a group that will be loyal to Bella and Harry and keep them from being separated. Even Draco would do anything to keep Bella from suffering, even if that meant he had to put up with Harry.

So they'd decided it would be best to make a sort of club. An empire. A safety net for Harry and Bella.

They felt very proud of themselves and just knew everything would work out in the end.

* * *

_**And that lovelies is end chappy! Hehe, hope you like! Next time: Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrive! Ja ne!**_


	29. The Flower of the Court

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

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**If the Traffic thing ain't lying...well if I'm reading it right, then this is my most read story. Cool. So here ya go!**

**Everything not made up by me belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

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_**Part Four**_

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_**Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Flower of the Court**_

Harry was surprised no one had followed them. But Hermione and Blaise re-cast the spells and proved no one had followed. Happy with that they slipped into the tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow with some help from Crookshanks and Calixto. They shuffled along, Bella and Harry in the lead, and soon everyone was in the dusty sitting area of the shack. "What a mess." Hermione huffed, whipping out her wand and beginning to fix the furniture and banish the dust. Bella and Luna helped her out and soon they were rearranging the furniture to suit them.

After about ten minutes Draco and Bella sat in high-backed chairs against the wall, looking out over their Knights.

"Okay then let's bring the first meeting of The Empire to order." Bella said then, pulling a parchment from her pocket and sticking it to the wall next to her seat with a charm. She smoothed it out to reveal their list of members, their titles, and their rules. She stood back from it for a moment before turning to the Knights.

Draco stood then and turned to look around at them all. "Well then the first order of business would be trying to figure out what we're going to be doing. Every empire needs a goal after all."

"True." Blaise said then. The Twins once again stood up and bowed to the Malfoys with once again oddly serious expressions.

"We have a goal." George said, acting as spokesman. "And we're sure it's one you'll all agree with."

"Go on then." Draco ordered. George and Fred shared a look then turned to the Malfoys.

"Dumbledore isn't liking how many Slytherin friends Harry has lately. He wrote to our parents to ask them to figure out why Harry was so friendly with all of you. And he also asked them to see if they couldn't drive you guys apart." Quick and to the point. Still, the ringing silence told the twins their words had gotten through to all of them. "So our goal is to stop Dumbledore from messing with all our lives." George stated after a few seconds. "All in favor?"

"He really did that?" Harry asked while looking over at Bella. The twins nodded. Harry stewed in his thoughts for a few seconds more then scowled. "I can't believe it. Why should it matter that I hang out with Slytherins? He's the one always preaching inter-house unity and all that."

Draco snorted delicately while Bella stared at the ground. "You're the Golden Boy Potter. Dumbledore may want all our houses to be chummy together but that doesn't mean he wants _you _all chummy with the rest of us."

"You don't have a good grasp on your potential Potter." Blaise said then. "People would do anything for you, so long as they continue to believe you are the Golden Boy, the Boy-Who-Lived, a Savior." Harry blushed and shook his head, running a hand through it before his eyes snapped up to Bella.

"Bell?" Harry asked noticing how quiet she was. Bella sighed heavily then, looking up at him with a wry twist of her lips. Harry frowned, getting up and going to stand beside her. She smiled up at him before sighing once more. "What is it Bell?"

She shook her head, a chuckle escaping her then. "It just shouldn't surprise me that Dumbledore wouldn't want you near us, but it does." She pouted until she felt Harry's arm around her shoulders. He smiled when she looked up at him again.

"Well Dumbledore doesn't get to decide who I want to be close to. I do. And if he doesn't like it...well too bad." Harry said with resolve in his tone.

"So back to our goal?" George asked and Draco smirked.

"I deem it an acceptable course." Draco said officially, making them all start laughing. "All in favor of keeping Dumbledore's crooked nose out of our lives?"

"Aye!" They all called back. Harry squeezed Bella gently before moving to stand upright beside her chair. He stayed there all through their short first meeting and Bella was happy to know where he stood.

* * *

October crept up on them without a warning. The empire met every Saturday, and spoke of various things. They had been keeping their eyes peeled and noted that the teachers were watching them more closely than the other students. So it had begun eh? Well the Empire wouldn't take this lying down. Aside from the increased watch on them though, things were pretty much normal in Hogwarts. As October drew to its close the main topic for even the Empire was the arrival of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students.

"I can't wait to meet them. I'm sure they'll all be incredibly skilled." Hermione was saying during their Saturday meeting, which they were holding in the library. They had decided that although the Shrieking Shack was a great meeting place, it would attract too much attention if they were ever seen. So instead they made due with rarely used hallways, empty rooms, and the library.

Blaise chuckled at Hermione's enthusiasm. "I can tell you this Granger, those Beauxbatons students will be incredibly pretty and stuck-up."

"Stuck-up?" Hermione asked. Blaise nodded, not even bothering to look up from his book. He had spent enough time in Hermione's company to know her face had assumed lecture mode. "You can't know that."

"I have a cousin who goes there." Blaise replied, looking up to see Hermione's learning face had replaced the lecture face. "He says that there are some humble students but its very hard to remain humble when you have people waiting on you hand and foot every hour of every day." While Hermione digested this new information, Blaise turned a grin onto Harry, who was currently sitting next to Bella, his head on her shoulder. Bella was working on some Arithmancy homework and looking very happy. "Speaking of pretty...you'd best watch out Potter."

"Hmm?" Harry asked, lifting his head a little to look at Blaise. "Why's that Blaise?"

Blaise chuckled. Mostly at the fact that Harry had started calling him by his first name just randomly and didn't even seem to notice it, but also at the way he looked like a cat just woken up from a nap. "Because once those blokes from the other schools get here, you'll have to keep them off our Princess."

Bella looked up from her work then to cock an eyebrow at Blaise while Harry pushed himself up fully and pouted at the Slytherin.

"Well that's what we're here for." Neville said quietly. He was reading through his Herbology essay and so didn't register the surprised looks he got from the Slytherins. "We're her Knights right?" He asked, eyes flickering off the page to eye them before going back down to his paper. "Just because Harry's the Imperial Warrior, that doesn't mean he has to protect Princess Bella all on his own."

"Excellent point Longbottom." Blaise said after a second. Neville blushed brightly but grinned nonetheless.

Draco set down his Ancient Runes textbook and frowned at them all. "Either way, Potter is the one dating Bella." Draco sneered at the word dating. "So it'll be his main responsibility to see to it that Bella doesn't get stolen by any of those other students. I won't have it."

Bella frowned then, rolling her eyes skyward. "Hermione, Luna, tell me why every one of these silly boys insists on talking about me like I'm something that can be taken or given away." Bella implored and her girlfriends laughed.

"You're pretty." Hermione and Luna stated at the same moment, making them blink at each other.

Bella grinned but then frowned once more. "So what if I'm pretty?" She asked, turning to her brother and Blaise. The two boys shared an amused look before looking back at her.

"People are attracted to pretty things Bella." Draco said patiently and Harry had the distinct impression that Draco had been explaining this to people often from the careworn tone he used. "And you're a Malfoy, with more of Mireya's features than Father's. You're more than just pretty actually." Draco frowned himself then while Bella turned to Harry.

"He has a point." Harry said softly, feeling the blush on his cheeks but not looking away from her mercury eyes. "You're really pretty Bella."

Bella flushed then and shook her head, turning back to her brother. "That still doesn't excuse your words you know. I'm me, a fleshy human, not a sack of rubies." She wagged a finger at Draco who grinned at her.

"I'll try not to say things like that anymore but losing you _would _be like losing a national treasure." Draco stated making Bella roll her eyes. He really did have a complex.

Harry laughed along with the rest of them, even if he silently agreed with Draco. Losing Bella would be terrible. He'd have to keep his guard up around those foreign students if he didn't want to lose his Bell.

* * *

Friday came rapidly in spite of the anticipation of a thousand students, which Bella would have thought would make the time drag on and on. But no. It was a very hectic day. She could hardly concentrate in class, though she put forth great effort since she knew Hermione and Draco wouldn't be pleased if she didn't at least try to pay attention. By the evening she was as jittery as the others though. When Severus had come to collect them all he'd given them the whole 'do not embarrass your noble house' lecture. No one would, considering an angry Severus was best avoided by any and all means. They'd gone out with the rest of the school and enjoyed the way their foreign guests had arrived. Now they were at their own tables and Bella could feel the eyes of the Durmstrang students on them.

"Can't blame them though, can you?" Blaise asked when Draco noticed this too. "I mean, you two aren't exactly trying to blend in."

The Malfoys had dressed to impress of course. Under their school cloaks Bella had on a pretty emerald green dress that tied around her neck and fell to her knees. Her hair was streaked with silver and piled up in an elegant knot on her head, her bangs held back from her mercury eyes with an emerald and diamond snake barrette. Draco was dressed in his school uniform but his clothes were always of such high quality that they looked just as special as Bella's dress. He wore a snake on his breast pocket and even though they weren't exactly twins, the Malfoys gave off that impression. Both were very pretty.

Durmstrang finally walked over to their table and settled in with the other students. Bella and Draco both smiled when Viktor Krum appeared in front of them. "Mr. Krum, it's a pleasure." Draco said, leaning over to shake the young man's hand. Krum returned the gesture. "I saw you both in the Top Box." Krum said after a moment. Bella and Draco beamed then.

"Yes you did. This is my brother Draco Malfoy." Bella said.

"And this is my younger sister Bella Malfoy." Draco added. Krum nodded to both of them in welcome before turning his attention to the Great Hall, looking around looking properly impressed. Bella cast a look at the Ravenclaw table and saw Luna sitting next to some of the Beauxbatons students who weren't looking so pleased as the Durmstrang students.

"I told you they were snobs." Blaise said as he settled down beside Draco. Crabbe and Goyle sat next to Krum as they students finished settling down. Krum looked to the black boy and Blaise smiled in the most charming Zabini manner he could muster.

"These are our friends." Draco said then, motioning to Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle. "Blaise Zabini, Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe."

"If you need anything, feel free to ask." Blaise said inclining his head then turned to the Malfoys. "Where are the others?"

"They'll sneak over here soon enough." Draco replied, waving a hand in an airy way.

"Here they come." Goyle said, turning back around. Bella looked over his shoulder and sure enough saw Harry, Hermione and Neville making their way across the hall. When they reached the Ravenclaw table Luna got up and followed them as well. Curious eyes watched them of course, some with disappointment, some with annoyance, most with disgust as the Gryffindors and Luna settled down at the Slytherin table. Harry sat beside Bella, kissing her cheek as he grinned. "Ron's having a bloody conniption."

"Oh?" Draco asked, eyes glittering with the joy of causing Ron to crack.

Harry nodded while Hermione rolled her eyes and snorted. Neville spoke up then. "When he saw Krum come sit here he nearly choked on his own breath." Neville flushed a little as he looked at Viktor who was looking amused. "He started swearing and of course blaming you Slytherins with enchanting him somehow." Krum actually chuckled at that.

"Oh? Is that so? Vell..." Krum replied before noticing some of the looks the students around them were giving them. "You do not seem to have many fans here." Krum said then and the empire laughed.

"We're the outcasts." Hermione piped up then, smiling sweetly around at her friends. "So of course we get weird looks. Especially considering how well we get along considering we're mostly snakes and lions."

Krum got an interested look in his eye then but the headmasters returned and they all sat down to listen to his welcoming speech and then to enjoy their dinner. It was much like any other night, except that the teens were happily answering Krum's questions about Hogwarts. Remembering the Beauxbatons' girl's laughter, they highlighted all the wonderful features about Hogwarts, determined to get the Durmstrang students to see the beauty in it.

"So there is rivalry between the houses?" Krum asked, looking at the different tables.

"Yeah. There isn't supposed to be but there always will be." Hermione replied, looking around at the other students. "Each house has it's own special qualities, and we tend to let those qualities define us, meaning we close ourselves off from the rest of the houses." She took a bite of dinner thoughtfully before shaking her head. "It's just the way it works around here."

"Vy do you get along then?" Krum asked.

The empire shared a secretive look, "We have better things to do." Draco stated while the others laughed.

* * *

"You should have seen Ron's face when me and Neville got into the dorm last night. He kept gaping at us and even asked us what Krum had said." Harry relayed to his friends as they made their way to Hagrid's.

"Did you tell him?" Hermione asked, not looking up from her book as she carefully side-stepped a loose stone.

"Yeah. He just kept gaping like a goldfish." Neville said then, following Crabbe and Goyle as they hopped on the small boulders lining their trail.

"Where'd Fred and George get to?" Draco asked then.

"Dunno. We told 'em where we were going but they just said they couldn't come." Harry recalled, frowning a little. Fred and George had been hiding something lately. Ron had had a fit when they'd refused to tell him and threatened to tell their mother. Harry couldn't believe how childish Ron was acting lately.

They continued on their way, enjoying the sunshine and laughing about mundane things in general. It was peaceful. Harry couldn't remember a time when he'd felt this safe and relaxed before. He turned his head slightly and caught Bella smiling at Hermione, who was sharing something in her book with Bella. Harry grinned when she caught him staring and turned her eyes toward him. She squeezed his hand gently, and he returned to the gesture. He didn't care what anyone about him going out with Bella. If he wanted to be her boyfriend then he would be. If that meant putting up with dirty looks and Slytherins, so be it.

_But isn't there a limit? _A little voice in his head asked as he watched Blaise and Hermione begin discussing their Ancient Runes class. _What are you willing to give up to be with them...with Bell? _Harry frowned, looking off to the side, wondering why he was wondering this in the first place. He felt happier with these people than he had in all his years at Hogwarts.

_So what if it's not what everyone expected of me? What matters is that I'm happy, right? _

_Right. _

"Harry?" Bella tugged him out of his head, giggling when he blinked at her. "Are you coming in?" She asked as she motioned to Hagrid's open front door. He nodded, going along inside with them. They spent an enjoyable afternoon with the friendly giant, who after an hour started getting used to so many Slytherins in his hut. Hagrid was really a kind soul.

As they were heading back to the castle for lunch they met up with the Beauxbatons group. Bella caught the eyes of a pretty girl with a sheet of slivery hair. The girl started to look away but something made her turn back.

Luna came up beside Bella then, whispering, "The wind is speaking to me Bella. It is whispering about her. What is the earth saying?" Bella concentrated and felt it. The girl had a pull. A something about her that brought her to Bella's attention, just like Luna's wind affinity had.

"The earth is whispering about her too." Bella said then, watching the girl as they followed the French students into Hogwarts. "She is one of us...isn't she?"

Luna nodded, tipping her head as a soft breeze caressed her cheek and her dreamy pale blue eyes slid shut. "She will be...if you convince her to be."

Bella was about to ask why she had to be the one to convince her when the Weasley twins popped out in front of them all and made very elaborate bows her way. "All hail the Princess!" They called. The empire began to laugh and Bella just shook her head as their French guests turned to her, along with Hagrid who was smiling but looking confused.

"Oh hush!" Bella demanded of her friends before turning to Fred and George. "And don't call me that!"

"Aw but it suits you!" The twins whined in their twin-ish way. Bella pouted then smirked and flicked her wrist. Fred and George suddenly had little sand twisters surrounding them.

"Bella." Draco said nonchalantly as he flicked his own hand and the twisters settled. The Beauxbatons delegation was staring openly at them now. "You can show off later. Let's get inside, I'm starving."

"Oh all right." She huffed, though she smiled as Harry took her hand and Draco took the other. They marched on, standing together and showing it in how they never strayed too far ahead or behind Draco and Bella.

Looking over her shoulder, Bella caught the girl's eyes once more and tipped her head a little. The girl's eyes narrowed then widened as they made their way into the Great Hall.

* * *

Bella forgot about the French girl's oddity over the weekend however. She had more important things to think about. Like Harry. In the tournament. Harry was in the Merlin-forsaken tournament!

With a groan she allowed herself to crumple up on the floor by her bed.

He'd gotten sucked into another dangerous potentially deadly happening and this time she couldn't even help him cuz of the rules of the tournament!

Punching her bed helped siphon off some of her frustration.

It had been a tough three days. The school turned on Harry now, using his connection to Slytherin to account for his entry into the tournament. The Slytherins however, stood fast behind Draco and Bella, which meant they actually worked for Harry instead of against him.

If not for the sheer terror that built up everytime she thought of the death toll, Bella might have found it hilarious at the whole role-reversal going on in Hogwarts.

But she did think of the death toll. And she remembered the tasks Hermione had told her about in past tournaments. And she watched Harry struggle against this great wave of bitter jealousy and disgust that was raining down on his head.

She didn't know what to do. She had always figured out something she could do. Why couldn't she do that this time?

Then she realized she was trying to do this all wrong.

She was the Princess of their Empire wasn't she? Yes. So then what do princesses do when their princes are in trouble?

Send in the calvary of course.

So getting up she dusted herself off, forcing herself to swallow her childish reactions. She was a Malfoy. She'd started an Empire. She would start behaving like the Malfoy and the Princess and makes sure Harry got taken care of while at the same time figuring out how to best help him get through this damn tournament alive and in one piece.

Making her way out of Slytherin House and up into the castle she paused as she spotted the Beauxbatons students coming in for lunch. She was just about to ignore them when she spotted the girl with silvery hair. The Beauxbatons champion. Fleur Delacour. The Flower of the Court.

Fleur Delacour stopped at the same time as Bella had, and now they were looking steadily at each other. Bella could see it now, now that she was gazing right at her for the first time in days. There was this haze around her, like Bella was seeing her through a heat haze, which only made her ethereal features stand out even more.

Suddenly Bella felt something collide into her and she fell backwards, landing with a thud and a crack of her head against the floor. Looking up, Bella hissed when she saw who it was.

Ron looked down at Bella with a blotchy red face and then scurried to get off of her, stepping on her hand in the process. Bella hissed again, sitting up and cradling her injured hand.

"What where you're going!" Ron bellowed at her and Bella felt something cold and angry rear up inside her.

"Enough of your pettiness Weasley!" Bella hissed as she felt the stone of Hogwarts tremble under her. Ron had turned to yell at her again but the trembling began to concentrate under him as he did so. Then without any warning at all, the stones opened and he slipped inside, slamming to a halt when the stones closed around her, barely giving him room to breathe. Ron yelped and started shouting for help as Bella got to her feet.

Just then Fred and George were at her sides and she wondered when they'd gotten here.

"What is going--? Mr. Weasley!" McGonagall cried out when she spotted Ron in the floor. Bella blinked slowly then looked up at Fred and George.

"It was Malfoy professor! She did this to me!" Ron shouted as he clawed at the stone, trying to get out. "You saw her!" He shouted to the crowd that had gathered.

"What're you on about Ron?" George asked now as McGonagall speared Bella with a look.

"You saw her! She moved the stones!" Ron shouted at his brother. "Just like last year when she kicked us out of that room in the dungeons!"

"You've finally gone mental haven't you?" Fred said then. "Bella didn't even twitch an eyelid."

"She doesn't have to!" Ron gasped and scowled furiously at his twin brothers. "You arses! Tell the truth!"

Dumbledore appeared then and Bella felt his eyes on her but she ignored them as Fred and George began leading her through the crowd. As she passed by the French delegation, she found herself being stared at by icy blue eyes.

She inclined her head to Miss Delacour then turned and walked over to the Slytherin table with her Knights at her side.

* * *

"Wait!" The accented voice stopped Bella as she headed into the castle after the Care of Magical Creatures class. She turned, along with Harry and Hermione, too find Fleur Delacour walking up to them. She ignored Harry and Hermione, looking down at Bella. "May I speak with you?" She asked and Bella nodded, turning to her friends. "Alone." The French girl clarified.

Bella gave her a look then nodded again. "I'll meet you both inside."

Harry looked like he was going to protest but Hermione nudged him with her elbow. Then with a slight smirk she dipped her head in Bella's direction. "As you wish Bella." Hermione's tone made Harry stiffen. Bella saw him fighting against his urge to stay behind and watch out for her, and the obvious dismissal in Bella's words. Finally he sighed, nodded, then narrowed his eyes. "We'll be waiting by the bridge." He clarified and Bella gave him a kiss on the cheek before they walked off to give her and Miss Delacour some privacy. Once they were alone, Bella turned back to look at the beautiful French girl.

"You have been looking at me." Fleur said and Bella nodded. "I wish to know why."

"I sense something in you." Bella said while taking in a deep sweet breath of the frosty air. The November air seemed to give her an extra shield on the inside even as it stung her nose. "Something different. Like what I sensed in my friend Luna." Bella waved a hand towards the trees and Luna stepped out without any preamble. The girl had been there for a bit now and Bella figured it was time to try and convince this Fleur girl to become something to them. Fleur gasped but it was so soft, no one would have known if they were watching.

"And what do you sens in this girl that makes you stare at me so?" Fleur pressed on.

"It's a warmth." Luna said then in her dreamy tone. "The wind carries it whenever you pass by." Luna swayed gently. "Sometimes it is cold heat though." She added thoughtfully.

"I see a haze around you. A heat haze." Bella said then as she felt a breeze pass between her and Luna and then swirl gently around Fleur, who watched with wide eyes. "You are fire." Bella said at last, naming that something that she'd sensed.

"I am fire..." Fleur repeated before smirking smugly and tossing her long sheet of hair over her shoulder. "You must also be gifted to sense my flames." Fleur said then.

"I am earth." Bella said and waved her hand around her front in an arch. The ground pulled itself up, forming a small wall between them before crumpling into a mound at their feet.

"And I am wind." Luna giggled, letting her breeze intensify around Fleur before dropping it into a quiet stillness. Fleur watched them both with long, calculating looks. Then she seemed to relax and in her palm caused a small fireball of white-blue flames to manifest before making a fist and making it disappear.

"There is something else that is strange about you." Fleur murmured then, watching Bella and Luna and seeing the way Luna stood in front of Bella oh so slightly, ready to throw herself in front of the girl.

"Yes, but that is a bigger secret." Bella smiled then. "If you wish to know more about that, join us in Hogsmeade." And with that Bella and Luna left the French girl to think, while Hermione and Harry stepped out from a clump of trees and joined her on the way to the castle. Bella had a good feeling in her chest though. The kind that came from doing something right.

* * *

The Empire sat around in the same small clearing they'd sat in last year after the confrontation with the Gryffindors. They were laughing and munching on snacks, trying to relax Harry, who was getting more and more worried the closer the date got for the First Task. Admittedly they were all worried. Who knew what it would be? It could be anything and Harry was at the disadvantage because he had three years less knowledge than the other champions.

"You had better not mess up Potter." Draco put in suddenly, eyes and face stern. "I do not need my sister infatuated with a loser."

Harry spluttered and then growled at Draco. Bella smacked Draco upside the back of his head and shook her own, blue-stripped black hair shaking about angrily.

"Draco Malfoy if you ever say anything that stupid again, I'll encase you in an earthy tomb." She promised as she then took Harry's hand in her own and gave him a little kiss. "You'll do fine. You have plenty of courage in facing stuff you can't forsee." Bella beamed at him as Harry looked at her with a blush. "You went into the Stone's hiding place without really knowing what you were up against. You faced down the basilisk even though I was slowing you down and we were practically blind for the first part of it and hell we didn't even know about Riddle's memory! And last year..." Bella's hands tightened around his own. "Last year you stayed with me and Hermione and Sirius, and faced down the Dementors, not knowing if you could do it but feeling like you had to try anyway for our sakes."

Harry would have replied but just then Fred and George appeared with Fleur Delacour between them. They bowed to Bella and Draco then. Fleur watched them with curious eyes.

Bella looked up at her then and smiled. "Welcome Miss Delacour. Have a seat."

As she settled down on the blanket they'd spread, Bella could see the haze around her and smirked.

"We are called the Empire, Miss Delacour. We each have our own skills as well as a binding wish to help each other through all things. I would like for you to become part of our Empire. We can offer you aid and protection as well as many other things you could wish for."

"What would you require of me?" Fleur asked, not exactly sure were this was going and surprised at the maturity Bella was showing.

"Only your oath, to keep this secret, and to obey the rules we have set." Draco said then. "With a power like yours, it will makes things much more easier."

"Will make what easier?" Fleur asked as she looked around at what she had thought were silly children.

"Surviving this new year and the tournament." Bella said then with a soft smile. "I will not interfere." She added with a pout. "But I will make sure that neither you nor Harry are harmed. I would rather have you as an ally than an enemy Miss Delacour."

Fleur looked around at all of them once more. When she'd come here, she'd been intent on putting Bella in her place. A mere child speaking to her in such a way! But now Fleur didn't think as she had before. This girl was speaking as if she were a queen, and the others were all quiet and respectful.

It would help wouldn't it though? To have some people to depend on aside from her Headmistress while she was forced to stay at Hogwarts and compete. And this group certainly seemed...intriguing as her grandmother would say. Certainly these children had some sort of power among them. Fleur smiled then. Her grandmother would have told her to sieze this opportunity and learn all she could from it.

"I think...I would like to know more about this little...Empire." Fleur said at last.

Bella nodded and smirked as she realized she had just captured the attention of the Flower of the Court. Now all she had to do was keep it.

* * *

_**And end chappy. Sorry for taking forever to update! I just couldn't make my mind work for anything! I need to buy a muse, perferably something cute and fuzzy that I can't ignore...hehe! Well hope you liked it! **_


	30. A Daunting Task

**_~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
_****_(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)_**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I am but a humble fanfic authoress. **

**Hehe y'all know I love reviews and I love when y'all just read in general. I'm not saying you gotta! I'm just saying I like reading what you think. Oh, and the characters are supposed to be a little OOC cuz hell this aint the original. :) Oh and the title I think I mentioned was a song title I got from the Code Geass anime, so if it's wrongly translated or whatever well forgive me but that's what people say it translates too. ^^ Thank you for reading! **

* * *

_**Part Four**_

* * *

_**Chapter Thirty: A Daunting Task**_

Fire...Wind...Earth...

They were together and connected.

And that was acceptable...for the moment.

If Water joined them though, that would be _un_acceptable. Mainly because Water was usually followed by Light.

Darkness was on its own however, as was often the case when the elements allied together. Normally Darkness did not mind the solitude but this time...things were different. Darkness had to make them different. Unless Darkness could reach them before Light, the tide of the war would fall into the favor of the Potter boy.

That couldn't be allowed to happen, or else this cycle would repeat again in another fifty years.

Darkness, in spite of its element, did not wish for Voldemort to succeed either.

So there was only one thing left to Darkness...to corrupt the other shining figure in this war.

The rising Princess of the Empire.

Darkness would corrupt Earth and thus send this war, and hopefully the Wizarding World, into a whole new direction.

* * *

Bella smiled as she watched Fleur Delacour nod in her direction before taking a seat at dinnertime. Bella settled in beside Harry at the Slytherin table, her eyes watching the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs with a sharpness that she wished could cut. None of these people should be allowed to hurt Harry as much as they did, to shun him for something he didn't do.

But he'd show them all how wrong they were and then they'd be clawing for his forgiveness and attention...like usual...

Bella frowned at the wave of annoyance that came over her then. It was just a part of Harry's life, and consequently her own now that she was his....well was she his girlfriend? They never really said it although they did agree they were dating. So yeah Harry was her boyfriend and she was his girlfriend.

Those words felt wrong though. Maybe that was why they never called each other that.

"Nervous yet Potter?" Pansy asked. Bella sighed softly, her wand already in her hand. The idiot girl thought she could taunt and tease anyone she wished but it was time for her to learn her place.

"I don't have a clue what you mean Parkinson." Harry replied, his eyes on his bowl of stew.

Pansy snickered and was about to speak until a deep voice spoke up. "I vood not taunt him miss." Viktor said, eyes flashing as he stared the girl down. Pansy withered and scampered away as Viktor concentrated the full weight of his stare on her. He blinked and turned back to the others with a small smile. "I vood say I vas sorry, but I find her very...annoying." Viktor told them. Bella smiled at him then.

"No need to apologize. I was about to hex her into a toad."

"Bella!" Hermione admonished even as a smile tugged her lips.

"What, I'm getting really tired of keeping myself restrained." Bella replied, her silver eyes hardening into steel. Harry took her hand then and Bella smiled up at him, blinking and letting her eyes return to mercury. "I hate that they think they can attack you."

Harry squeezed her hand once before letting them rest together between them. Harry smiled, happy in spite of the teasing taunts that had crashed onto him since he was announced Fourth Champion. People wanted him to fail, they were clamoring for it really, but Harry couldn't let that happen. He wasn't a loser, and he didn't want Bella to suffer the cruelty that would spew from these childrens mouths if she remained faithfully by the side of a loser.

"Miss Bella." Viktor's accented tones brought Harry out of his thoughts as he caught the Bulgarian Seeker staring at Bella with a frown. Bella was staring back, looking puzzled. "I vood like to have a private vord vith you."

Bella cocked her head then, and Harry smiled to himself as he recognized that look. Just like he'd realized last Christmas, he knew her moods and the gist of her thoughts just by looking at her. Right now she was curious, her eyes hovering between silver and mercury, not a discouraging gaze but a contemplative one. Her lips were pouted slightly, while her hands had tensed just a bit.

"All right. Shall we speak now or later?" Bella said, getting up from the table anyway. Viktor did so as well, though he stopped when Draco and Harry moved as well. "I vish it to be just Bella and I." He told them. Harry and Draco looked at each other then at Bella who was still curious.

She could say all she wanted about being just their princess, but in that moment before she spoke, Harry saw that she could never be just a princess. She was a ruler, a noble in the guise of a student. She stood tall and proud and even their supposed Emperor bowed to her will when she said, "Harry, Draco, it'll be all right. We'll just be in the entrance hall, won't we Viktor?"

Harry saw Draco tense, his big brother complex kicking in. However one look from his sister and Draco relaxed, settling back into his seat. "Fine. Potter and I will stay." Harry didn't want to, but Bella turned to him, her eyes asking him softly and he nodded, sitting back down as Krum and Bella walked out of the hall admist whispers and looks. He watched her back the entire time, not liking this at all.

Once they were outside in the entrance hall, far enough away from the doors that no one could eavesdrop of them, Bella turned to Krum one eyebrow cocked while she crossed her arms, her wand in hand. Krum chuckled a little at her defensive stance. "I see you have gotten on the French girl's good side." Krum said without preamble at all. Bella blinked, looking surprised, before she narrowed her eyes at him.

"And if I have? I won't play spy for you Mr. Krum." Bella told him flat out. Krum chuckled again.

"I vood never dream to ask you that Miss Bella." Krum assured her. "It is another thing I must ask you." Bella waited as Krum gave a look to ensure they were not being watched then dropped his voice. "I ask that you allow me to join your empire."

Bella gasped, taking a step back. "How do you know about that?" Bella asked, wondering if they had been spied on in the library after all.

Krum stared at her steadily then reached out an arm and layed it on the wall closest to him. Bella watched in shock as the shadows sprang up from the wall and up Krum's arm like a puppy greeting its master. She took another step back but the feeling of stone and earth was all around her and she calmed.

"I have an element too. Darkness has alvays come at my command. I can listen through shadows and blend into them as vell." Krum explained, withdrawing his arm and allowing the shadows to return to their original position. "I am not Dark however." Krum added pointedly, letting Bella stare at him with her dagger-sharp gaze. "There is very little to fear in Darkness actually."

Bella shuddered as her mind flashed the image of a dark cave opening from which bats sprung, and the cries that filled her nightmares for months afterward, but then she shook her head and focused back on the present. Someday she'd have to overcome that fear, but Krum was right mostly. If not for the dark of night, if not for the shadows, then many things would not exist in this world, and Bella knew she would miss some of those things. In fact, if not for Darkness, Bella would never have been born at all. She calmed even more.

"Why do you wish to come into the empire though?" Bella asked him as they continued to stand there, eyeing each other.

"Because I have heard the shadows Bella. I know that vhen the time comes, everyone vill have to choose a side. I choose yours." Krum gave her a serious glare before dropping onto one knee, kneeling on the stones of Hogwarts. "I ask to be made a Knight and to serve you." Krum said then, head bowed.

Bella allowed the earth to fill her with its essence, and it was that that guided her to touch Krum's shoulders with her wand and speak words that sounded far too formal for a girl of fourteen to be uttering.

"I Knight you into my service Viktor Krum, and into the Empire which I rule, which you will now guard with your magic and your life."

As Bella watched a streak of light shot out and wrapped around Krum's neck. She saw symbols and intricate lines connecting it all together before it flashed and sunk into his skin.

Krum stood up then, rubbing his throat before bowing to her. "Perhaps you should do that vith the other Knights." Krum half-turned his head then and he seemed to be listening to things Bella couldn't hear with normal ears. The part of her attuned to the earth though, trembled slightly with Krum's next words. "You vill need utter loyalty if we are to survive."

* * *

"Is everything all right?" Draco asked his sister a few days later. He'd left her alone for most of the week, seeing her worry growing for Potter, who in turn was trying to act brave to keep Bella from worrying. They were both idiots when it came to each other but Lucius had assured him most young couples were idiots no matter their age. So Draco had figured Bella's growing silence and her distant looks had been due to Potter's impending doom and left it at that.

Now however, on the night before the First Task, with Bella having utterly shut herself up in her head for the past two hours, Draco felt it was more than just Potter's troubles that had his beloved sister on the verge of becoming a zombie.

Draco watched as she blinked and then looked around before blushing and shaking her head. "Nothing is all right but there is something wrong." Bella replied at last, sighing and dropping down into the couch cushions more. Most of the older years were still awake, highly excited about the First Task. Draco ignored them however and focused on his sister.

"Oh?" Draco prompted, wanting to figure out how to help her already. Bella nodded and looked up at him, a strange gleam in her eyes.

"Krum has an element too Draco." Bella whispered. Draco leaned in closer to hear her better. "He can manipulate shadows. He calls the element Darkness..." Draco's eyes grew round. "And that day when he asked me to talk with him in private, I made him a Knight too. Except something weird happened. I touched him with my wand and spoke some silly fancy words and a ring appeared around his neck before it vanished into his skin!" Bella was pink-cheeked and bright eyed by the time she finished. Draco gave a curt nod then rose from their seat, dragging her into her private room, giving Blaise a look that had him leaving the girl he'd been flirting with and hurrying to their side.

Once the door was locked and a ward thrown over it to keep out eavesdroppers, Draco turned to Bella. "What do you mean a ring of light appeared around Krum's neck?" Bella took a deep breath and recounted everything that had happened that night, giving all the details she could remember. Once she finished both Blaise and Draco were pacing while Bella sat in her favorite chair.

"We should have never given this silly empire thing a second thought." Bella said as they paced. "I have no idea why I agreed to it."

Both boys stopped then, meeting each other's eyes before shaking their heads and turning to Bella.

"Bella, this empire thing is going to benefit us. You heard Krum. And ever since we discovered others with elements at their command, they have all been saying the same thing. Something big is going to be happening. Soon. And you will need allies." Blaise replied.

"Why me though!" Bella demanded, hopping to her feet and glaring at him. "Why not Draco? Every time it's me everyone references!"

"Because you're the real leader Bella." Draco said then, chuckling as Bella began to shake her head. "Whether you want it or not, people see you as a good rallying point. You managed to make snakes and lions live peacefully in our own home for pity's sake." Draco smiled at her. "Bella, you're different from all of us. You don't want the power but it's there, in your blood, and in your demeanor. You have the power, so why not start using it? Become the Empress of the Empire, and I'll rule beside you if you want, but only if you agree to acknowledge that the power you have is what will guide us."

Bella head whirled. "I need to sit." She said and settled down into her chair again. This was getting out of hand way too fast. She'd just thought it'd be a silly club, a game for them to play when things got too heavy for them to bear alone. Now she was finding people who could hear the wind and shadows and control flames and she herself could make the earth bow to her will...

And then the whole Knighting thing with Krum had gone down the weird tube as well. What was going on?

"What do you want to do Bella?" Draco asked her gently then. She kept her eyes on the floor, her thoughts going around in circles. "Bella." Looking up at Draco at last she found he had a serious look on her face. "You started something with Krum, which means you have to decide what to do from here on out. You started it Bella." Draco repeated, wanting his sister to stop moping and become her usual strong self. "Which means you get to end it too, if that's what you want."

Bella ran a hand through her hair, her eyes shutting as she tried to think of every possible thing she could do at this point. Really only two things were occurring to her. One: ignore what happened with Krum and just let everyone keep playing Knights. Two: Actually make their empire into a force to reckon with.

Truthfully she liked the second option the best. Make the empire into something more. She liked the thought of it, of having power and being able to weild it as she wished. She was a Malfoy after all.

"Okay...." Bella nodded at last and hugged Draco. "Then let's make this into something we can use to our advantage. If we're all right...then something big is going to happen. Something we'll need to be ready for." Bella said softly. Draco nodded and pat her head, lending her all the comfort he could. He would always be right there beside her, just like she'd always stand by him.

That's just the way things were always going to be.

* * *

Harry blinked as the tent was parted and a very familiar face entered the Champion's waiting area. The other three champions blinked as well, looking at the girl with curiosity and a bit of disbelief. But they didn't know her like Harry knew her. She'd move heaven and earth to do what she liked. She was a Malfoy after all.

"Harry!" Bella gasped, cheeks pink from the November chill, the rest of her face had been leeched paler than before due to the cold. She threw her arms around him nonetheless and Harry returned the hug, his eyes shutting as he breathed in whatever that scent was that clung to Bella. It must have been the smell of lilies though. She always had lilies these days. Lucius would send her fresh bouquets from the Malfoy gardens and Bella had said they were enchanted to remain fresh and fragrant for weeks after they were cut. He knew on some level that the recollection of these silly facts was a way of ignoring what he was about to do but it was still a nice respite nonetheless.

"Bella, are you okay? You're really pale." Harry said then as he looked down at her. Weird that, when had he gotten tall enough to look down at Bella?

Bella gaped at him for a second then snorted in a rather gruff way before giving him a firm little shake. "Harry James Potter I swear you're such a...a...a Gryffindor!" Bella puffed and huffed as she let go of his robes and paced a little in front of him. Harry took a moment for the words to process then began to laugh. Softly and slowly the chuckles built up until he was laughing outright and holding his side. Bella smiled up at him then and hugged him again. "I'm fine by the way. Just worried about you because you're going to be facing a _bloody dragon _of all things!" Bella looked indignant again and Harry had to laugh at the pout on her face.

"You'll do fine." Bella said then, taking his hands in hers. "I can feel it. You'll just need to focus." Her eyes narrowed then but Harry was more entranced by the color. They were hard with determination, cold steel and filling him, oddly enough, with a warmth he hadn't felt since he'd learned about the dragons. It took a few seconds for him to recognize the feeling as courage. Bella was giving him courage with nothing more than a look.

He nodded and pulled her back into a hug, not caring that Fleur, Cedric, and Krum were watching him. He needed to make sure she was real, because at that moment he felt very insubstantial himself. Like he'd become a ghost or something.

"Harry, you'll be fine." Bella said then, her eyes glittering as she looked back up at him. "Just remember what you're going to do. We're all out there and we'll be rooting for you. And afterward we'll find you some butterbeer or something." Bella murmured soothingly and Harry appreciated it. "And we know the truths from the lies. Don't you worry about anything but what you have to do." Bella demanded as she pulled back and her eyes were drawn to the little miniature dragon in Harry's hand. Her eyes went round and she swayed a bit. "_The Horntail. You got the Horntail?" _She whispered as she continued to stare at the little one.

"Just my luck don't you think?" Harry asked with an attempt at a grin. Bella nodded then shook her head, then threw her arms around him again.

"I wish I could help you." She mumbled into his shoulder. Harry held onto her and selfishly, for a moment, he really wished that too.

But then he remembered how Bella had looked after the basilisk and the Dementors and how much she'd gone through already for him. It drained him of any wish to have her next to him as he faced off with a dragon.

"You're out there safe, that's what matters." Harry murmured back and felt Bella lift her head, probably to protest. He stopped her then the only way he could think of. He leaned down and kissed her.

As far as timing went, Harry would have preferred for the tent to be empty of the others so that he could properly enjoy the moment. Still though, he felt like he had to do this more often. Relief and affection flooded him as he softly kissed Bella and focused only on that. He wasn't worrying about dragons or dangerous tasks or whatever it was Bella had been hiding for the past few days. All he focused on was the kiss and how soft Bella's lips were and he felt a bit of a blush on his cheeks as he finally pulled away. Bella was blinking up at him, her face flushed with color now and Harry had to grin a little.

"I might just have to do that more often." Harry murmured softly so that only she heard. Bella blushed more but then in typical Bella fashion she nodded and grinned.

"You had better." Her eyes were mercury now and Harry relaxed even more. He turned her around then as a whistle sounded and gave her a little push.

"Get going. You could get in trouble." He told her and she frowned for a second then nodded and left like she'd came. Harry watched her go then remained staring at the flap for a long time as he awaited his turn.

When he walked out to face his dragon, he looked up and was unable to distinguish one face from another in the stands. But the chill air braced him and he licked his lips, smiling as he remembered how Bella looked so determined and sure he'd make it. With that he summoned his broomstick and took off into the air.

_Really_, Harry thought as he flew around and dodged fire, _Bell shouldn't worry so much about being right next to me. She's already closer to me than anyone else has ever been. _

He'd have to tell her that...after he got that bloody egg.

* * *

"To Harry!" The Knights cheered as they gathered together in an empty classroom the following day. Fleur and Krum weren't around, they had to keep up appearances after all. So it was the original Knights, with treats and drinks from the twins, and music from Bella's radio. They celebrated heartily, not caring if they were found out or not. Harry was especially relieved, since he'd gotten past the First Task and managed to tie with Krum for first.

Bella sat next to him with a serene look on her face, much better than the pale scared-out-of-her-wits look she'd been sporting most of the day before. And she was much more relaxed thanks to her decision to make the Empire into a real force. Something that people could turn to if they grew weary or fearful of what was to come.

She had a very good idea of what was to come actually. Looking at Harry and remembering everything he'd spoken to Sirius about lately, not to mention all the warnings her father had been sending her about Karkaroff and the odd twinges in his Dark Mark--Severus hadn't been happy when Bella had burst into his office and demanded to know if he was feeling something in his Mark too--it all added up to something big and bad coming at them. The only thing Bella knew that could amount to this much drama was the one being Bella feared.

Voldemort was coming back. His Death Eaters had put in a show, someone had thrown up a Dark Mark, mysterious twinges in his followers Marks, Harry dreaming about him, it all added up to Voldemort.

Bella would be damned if he got his hands on Harry though.

Getting up she opened a window, needing to feel the cool November air. The others were far enough away that they didn't feel a chill and so she felt perfectly justified in leaning against the sill and staring out at the grounds. To her surprise a beetle landed next to her hand. It must have been living in the greenhouses and gotten out. Carefully she scooped it up into her hands while continuing to stare out at the frosty grounds.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder she turned her head and smiled as Harry joined her side.

"What's wrong Bell?" Harry asked then as their friends continued to talk behind them.

Bella took a deep breath then sighed and pet the beetle with one finger. How to tell Harry....? She felt him shift and looked over to see him half-sitting on the sill now, his eyes staring out over the grounds too.

"You can tell me Bell, you know I won't say anything you don't want me to." Harry continued, his green eyes lit up with affection. Bella smiled at that and nodded, setting the beetle back on the window sill.

"It's nothing really Harry. Well nothing you have to worry about. Seriously, I don't want you worrying about anything except those tasks." Bella wagged her finger at him sternly making him laugh.

"Even if it's not something I _have _to worry about, I _want _to worry about it. I don't like it when you bottle it all up to yourself." Harry told her then, frowning at her. Bella twisted a strand of her dark hair around her finger as she tried to find the words that had gotten lost in her stomach somewhere.

"It's just...everything and nothing and all these little pieces..." Bella tried to explain without really explaining. The look of confusion on Harry's face made her smile. "I have a...a theory Harry. A hunch about...well...all the weirdness that's going on lately. Your dream and the stuff at the Quidditch Cup and then some other things...." Bella touched the stone wall next to her then. "Even Hogwarts herself is whispering Harry." Bella said seriously as she continued to run her fingertips over the stone. Harry watched Bella for a few seconds before smirking.

"What's it saying?" Harry wondered and Bella shut her eyes as she breathed in deeply.

Bella stayed that way for a few minutes. Then she blinked and looked up at Harry. "She's saying to beware...be safe and be aware..." Bella sighed as she crumpled to the floor then. Harry's yelp of surprise made the others turn to look. As Draco rushed off, Bella noted that the beetle fluttered off into the cold November sky.

* * *

Draco shook his head, running a hand through his hair as he tried to concentrate on his Astronomy homework. He was sitting on the edge of a hospital bed, with Bella laying next to him, sleeping through her fever. A fever! He figured she had to have caught it from one of the first year Slytherins. They'd complained about it earlier in the week anyway.

It was nighttime now and well past curfew but Draco didn't care. Pomfrey knew better than to try and separate them by now so she'd just told Draco to get some rest before leaving the infirmary. Draco was now watching Bella as she lay there. He wondered about many things, most of them focused on how utterly bizzare his little sister was. She attracted trouble like their father had attracted gold in his day. He frowned, thinking back on everything she'd told him and everything he himself had been feeling.

With his ability to manipulate the space around them, he too had been feeling vibrations of a sort. Like the very air was trembling in wait of whatever disaster was approaching them.

He wasn't looking forward to whatever it was, but he was looking forward to where Bella would take them when it showed its ugly head.

_And how funny is that,_ Draco wondered as he shut his book and prepared for bed, _that out of all the people to worry about it, it has to be a bunch of teenagers? Not the adults, least not as far as we know, and not any old heroes. Us, a gang of teenagers still in school._

Well whatever was coming would be facing a daunting front to be sure. Children gifted with power over things that were usually wild. Fire, Earth, Wind, Darkness, Space. Draco smiled and settled into the bed next to his sister.

_We can face it. It might even be for the greater good. _

Draco went to sleep then. He'd deal with all this tomorrow.

* * *

_**Bah! I win writer's block! (laughs) sorry for the ever so long wait! I really am but this chapter was being stupid and difficult! But I have tamed it and present it to all of you ^^. Enjoy! **_


	31. Downfall

****

~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~

**(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I am but a humble fanfic authoress. **

* * *

**Part Four**

_**Chapter Thirty-One: Downfall**_

_Water will be your downfall. _

_There were bodies everywhere, and fire, torn earth, destruction..._

_Water will douse Fire. _

_Fleur lay on the ground, something dark seeping through her silk uniform. _

_Water will burden Air. _

_Luna was choking, clawing at the ground, trying to breathe._

_Water will wash away Darkness._

_Krum was pale and lifeless on the ground. _

_Water will fill up Space. _

_Draco lay, blue in the lips, eyes wide and bloody._

_Water will muddy Earth. _

_Bella saw herself laying a few feet from Draco, body torn open. _

_Water is your downfall. Water is the Deciever. Water will lead Light in your destruction...and bring doom on the world..._

_The world meant nothing to Bella. _

_On your Knights. _

_On Harry..._

_Bella felt someone tap her shoulder then and whipped around to find herself facing-_

Light would step all over them if Water got hold of them.

Bella gasped awake and held a hand to her mouth to stifle the scream that wanted to escape.

Still gasping, she looked around her room then shut her eyes and tried to recall what had made her heart race and her body break out in a sweat.

There had been someone in her dream. Someone who could control Water.

And that someone had been...

Had been...

"Who are you?" Bella asked the shadows in her room.

Groaning she felt her heart begin to calm and her breathing slowed. Eyes narrowed, Bella lay back down, vowing to find out who was a threat.

When she found Water she would ensure it could not cause the destruction she'd seen in her dream.

Light could not win this time. The Balance depended on Light being defeated. Every day, that became very clear to Bella Malfoy.

However, Light was not the problem at the moment.

Water was.

"I will find you." Bella swore before falling into a restless sleep.

* * *

"Oh I can't wait! Look at the gown mother sent me!"

"Ah I hope Ethan asks me out soon..."

"I should have gotten different shoes, these are hideous!"

"How should I wear my hair?"

Bella chuckled as she fixed her lip gloss in the girl's lavatory. Ever since December had arrived, all she'd heard was rumors and questions focused on the Yule Ball. Even the boys were busy thinking about who to ask out, gathering their courage while girls giggled in what they thought was cute ways.

"Bet we don't have to ask who _she's _going with." One sixth year said as she and her friends took a mirror a few people down from Bella. Bella smirked faintly and pulled out a brush. She knew exactly who was meant by 'she'. While brushing her hair she glanced over and found the girls peeking looks at her.

Bella was not too upset by the scowls they gave her. By now everyone had seen her with Harry and occasionally in the library with Krum. She had no trust of him yet, in spite of what she might seem to feel. Out of all her Knights, he was the only one to have gained a collar. Perhaps Bella had to repeat the words she'd spoken to Krum on her other Knights? She would have to bring that up at today's meeting.

Suspicions aside, Bella returned to her task of fixing herself up for dinner and eavesdropping on the gossip.

"That's a Malfoy for you, digging into anything remotely popular and sucking it dry."

Well that was a rather rude thing to say. This time it had been Parvati Patil, whispering to Lavender Brown.

At this Bella narrowed her eyes. Padma still spoke to Bella on occasion, having come out of whatever insanity she'd been sucked into by Parvati. Parvati was a different case though. Perhaps it was because of Bella's supposed betrayal of Gryffindor. Or corruption, depending on who you spoke to. Whatever the case, while Padma seemed to have matured and returned to reason, Parvati continued to hold her grudge.

Pulling her long hair into a ponytail, Bella tied it off with a large green bow and gathered her things, hearing more buzz begin as a seventh year began a betting pool on who Bella would show up to the ball with.

"Tch..." Bella shook her head as she exited the bathroom and made her way to the Great Hall. "Either I just look that fickle or they have wild imaginations."

"Who has a wild imagination?" Bella smiled and turned to Draco, grinning as he held out his arm. Cocking a brow, Bella took his arm and let him escort her into the Great Hall.

"The girls in this school." Bella said in reply to his question. "They started a betting pool before I even left the lavatory."

"On?" Draco asked.

"Who would be my date for the ball."

Draco laughed then. "You have to be missing half a brain to not figure that one out." Draco let his eyes find Harry then across the room. "He really ought to move it though and formally ask you to the ball. I won't tolerate him just assuming you will consent to be his date. That is not the Malfoy way."

Bella giggled but nodded in agreement. As much as she adored Harry...she wouldn't just go along and consent to be his date. If he didn't ask her...then she would just go with Blaise. Or go alone and have her fun.

"I wonder if that makes me a bad person." Bella asked aloud with a soft smile at Draco.

"If what makes you a bad person?"

"Just now, I thought to myself that if Harry did not ask me, I would go to the ball and dance with anyone who asked me and have my fun." Bella replied, picking up her spoon and blowing lightly on her stew.

Draco smirked then, patting her empty hand. "Bella...you're a Malfoy. We take our fun when there is nothing holding us down." Draco smirked coolly then. "At least, you and I will. The old rules of Malfoy are null and void to us."

"Are they? We spout them off very often." Bella asked him.

Draco chuckled and shook his head. "Some might still apply on occasion but we are a new breed of Malfoy dear sister." Draco chuckled then and his white-gold hair shielded his eyes. Bella knew they were shimmering mercury however and hid a smirk behind her napkin. It was a shark's smirk that came onto her face.

"So then we will have new rules? What about Father?"

"Father can order all he wishes, but I am the head of the family now." Draco said as he handed her a scroll of parchment. "I've been feeling a bit...unsure lately about giving Father too much sway in our lives." Draco met her eyes then and his eyes were pewter. "Adults have lied to us and manipulated us much too often. I do not trust our Father completely. I wish I could...but I will not chance our futures on a desire for trust."

Bella wondered what had happened to make Draco be so serious tonight. Before she could ask though, Hermione appeared and grasped Bella's arm. "Bella! I have to tell you something! Are you finished?"

Bella blinked at Hermione then at her still full bowl of stew and smiled kindly. "No but I can always have Dobby deliver something to my room later. You seem excited, so tell me."

Hermione opened her mouth then snapped it shut as Neville and Harry joined them.

"It's kinda private." Hermione replied turning pink. Giggling Bella rose from her seat, pausing to place a hand on Draco's shoulder. "We'll take tea in my room tonight big brother."

Draco smirked. "As you like dear sister."

Nodding she smiled at Harry and Neville then let Hermione drag her off.

Once they were in an empty room Hermione burst out with, "Viktor asked me to the ball!"

Bella gaped and blinked at her best friend twice before grinning. "He did what!"

"I know! I was shocked! But today in the library he asked me out and I said yes!" Hermione squealed. Bella laughed and congratulated her friend. On the inside however, Bella frowned.

She'd have to have a talk with Krum soon. He was Darkness. He would help her put a stop to Water and Light.

And once he was done with that...Bella would decide what his fate should be as well. If Water did not end up choking them...Darkness just might.

* * *

"Everything's shifting away from us Draco." Bella murmured as she and Draco had tea in her bedroom. It was just the two of them today. Bella wondered when they'd last been truly alone like this? It seemed like ever since last year they hadn't really had time alone.

"Everything's gaining a new form. Some new strength or weakness." Bella continued, her eyes on her teacup. "I feel like we might drown in all this sea of change."

"We won't drown. We'll float over it." Draco promised swiftly, making Bella smile.

"Is that so?" Bella questioned. Draco laughed and wagged a finger at her.

"Never question your big brother." Draco smirked and Bella could swear the temperature dropped a few degrees at the sight of it. "You're right, the world is changing. Everyone and eveything will be shifted out of focus, forced into new roles. The world is whispering a warning and only we can hear it." Draco looked at the ceiling then. "We weren't meant to drown Bella. Or else we'd be deaf to the warnings."

"What were we meant to do then?" Bella asked her older brother. Draco smiled and pat her head.

"Survive it. Then mold what's left into whatever we wish." Draco cocked his head then. "From the moment we found out our mothers were imposters, the world has begun to change Bella. We're not as we were then. We're changed. For better or for worse."

Bella nodded, shutting her eyes as she took a soft breath. "We have to discover who controls Water Draco. Water will drown us all." Bella said as visions from her dream flashed before her eyes. "Water is our downfall."

Draco nodded. "If only we could get out of this castle, instead of having to wait for whoever that is to show their face." He growled then, staring at the walls like they were prison bars. "Have you noticed the professors are watching us more? Even Sev."

Bella nodded, eyes finally opening once more. "We might not be able to leave undetected...but I know who can." Setting her teacup aside, Bella moved to her desk and pulled out fresh parchment and a quill. Draco came to stand behind her and watched as she wrote her letter then whistled for Zephyr. The bright white owl entered the room through a tunnel in the stone Bella had made, and waited patiently for its letter.

"Zephyr, take this to Viktor Krum." Bella said then and the bird flew off with a hoot.

Returning to their comfy seats, both Malfoys had smirks on their faces. Who would ever dare say they were not Malfoys?

* * *

Viktor Krum wondered just how much the Malfoy girl knew about him. He hadn't mentioned he could wrap shadows around him, like a cloak, making him invisible to everything. Perhaps his little show when they first spoke of his element had given her the idea? Or was she secretly harboring knowledge he had not known about?

Shaking the thoughts away, Krum focused on his 'mission'. From now on, whenever he could manage it, he was to leave the grounds and fly around as far as he could before sunrise. Bella had stated an urgency to find Water.

Krum fully agreed with this urgency, having tired of playing the make-believe Knight. He scowled as his neck tingled with the magick that kept him bound to serving that half-pint at the moment. Once Water was dealt with, Bella would be easily corrupted. That was how the story of Elements had always played out. He had researched it when he'd first discovered his power over the shadows.

Elements had been melding with people since the time of Merlin. Sometimes, individuals were gifted with more than one, depending on circumstance. However, it was usually one per person. And every few decades the Elements would rise up and fight in a never ending war to keep the Balance of the world. It all came down to two elements. Darkness and Water. Water can distrot things, or wash away what it precieves as dull and make everything clear. Darkness can seep into anything, and corrupt it from the inside. Thus the reason the two were key in this never ending war.

Krum would have to turn Bella dark before he could reveal that he knew who Water was. Light had been winning the last few centuries now. The Balance would be ruined if the trend was allowed to continue unchecked. Of course there would forever be diehards like Dumbledore, filled with guilt, needing the reassurance that Light would be with them. That they could atone for their past mistakes.

That was why Light confused so many people. They believed it was salavation. In fact, it was their destruction and puppeteer. Light used those who it needed then burned them up in righteous fury.

Not this time though.

After spending an hour flying about Krum settled on top of the roof of some building and whiled away the hours until dawn before flying back to Hogwarts.

* * *

"I trust him about as far as I can spit in a Luna wind." Bella spat out while watching her pawn being cleaved in half by a very vicious knight.

Harry and Neville looked up from the chessboard to gape at Bella while she sent her own knight out to take revenge and advance closer to Harry's queen.

"Luna wind?" Neville asked while Harry frowned.

"Luna can create devilish winds Neville. You should ask her to demonstrate sometime." Bella replied sweetly.

"Why don't you trust Viktor?" The voice came from the doorway and Bella froze for a moment before sighing. She hadn't wanted to confront Hermione about her suspicions concerning Krum.

Bella let Hermione tire of standing in the doorway with a scowl and stomp over before making another move of her pieces. Poor Harry tried his best but within five minutes Bella had claimed her victory.

Finally she looked up at her best friend and smiled softly.

"He's hiding something from me Hermione. Otherwise, why would my magic have only bound him into my service? We already tried it with all of you and none of you gained collars."

It had been early that day, they'd all one into a room with Bella on their own, one at a time, and Bella had repeated the words she'd spoken to Krum. Nothing had happened. Not even a spark.

Bella had grown to distrust Krum more since then.

Now they stood here, her friend in potential danger of having a broken heart.

"But maybe that's just because of his element." Hermione tried to reason. She launced into one of her lecture-rants and Bella took a moment to mentally sigh before smiling at Hermione.

"I'm sure you're right Mione. Darkness is a very powerful element. Perhaps that's why my magic decided to collar him." Hermione's shoulders visibly relaxed and Bella grinned more.

Looking to the side she noted that although Neville looked convinced, Harry did not. He was glaring at her in that thoughtful way of his and Bella knew he'd interrogate her later.

That was later though so Bella felt safe in returning to their chess game. "Care for another round before lunch?"

* * *

"Why don't you trust Krum?" Harry asked as soon as they were high up in the sky where no one could hear them. He'd suggested they go for a flight after lunch and she'd agreed. Hermione was still giving her sidelong glances while chatting animately with Krum and Bella had seen him staring at her as well.

Up here, above the frozen earth that still whispered into her dreams, and under the steel sky that promised eternity, Bella managed to speak easily as she and Harry made slow circles in the air, rising and falling like leaves in a breeze.

"Krum doesn't want us to drown. But he doesn't care for us either Harry." Bella met his verdant eyes and shook her bangs out of her own eyes before going on. "He is hiding something. I can feel it. Whatever he's hiding, its for his benefit and his alone. He doesn't give a damn about anyone else."

Harry stared at her as they rose in their lazy spiral. Then he reached out and caught her arm, leaning towards her as they hovered in the air.

"Why didn't you tell Hermione that then?" Harry demanded, thinking of how hurt his friend would be if she heard the words from Bella.

Bella smiled sadly and looked down at the castle in the distance. "The Yule Ball is in two weeks Harry. Let Hermione play Cinderella for as long as possible. She deserves it." Bella turned back to Harry then. "Whatever's coming for us, won't be here for a while yet."

Harry frowned more, mulling over Bella's words. She was being unusually serious these days. Like the weight of the world had fallen on her shoulders alone.

"Bell." Looking into those mercury eyes, Harry had to wonder what exactly she was hiding from him. "Bell, what else aren't you telling me?"

She gave a light gasp before a wide grin made an appearance on her face and her eyes lit up more. "I'm becoming an open book to you aren't I, Harry?"

He smiled a little at that. "You trust me, that's why I can read you so well." He replied.

Bella nodded. She did trust him, because he never let her down. Never.

"Bell, will you go to the ball with me?"

Blinking she turned her head up to find him suddenly beside her. Their knees touched as their brooms held them aloft. He was smiling and looking a bit sheepish at the same time. Part of her wondered what had taken him so long to ask while the rest of her just filled up with bubbles of warmth.

"I'd be very happy to go to the ball with you Harry." She told him, leaning up to kiss his cheek before grinning and taking off, knowing he'd chase after her. Call her concieted for being happy about that, but she was anyway. Because as much as Harry was beginning to understand about her, she too was beginning to understand things about Harry. They were both chasers in a sense. They didn't wait for the battles to come to them, they went into the battles, heads up and reckless grins plastered on their faces.

And they were in for a fight. It was building up. It was going to find them.

Better to face it with a grin then.

* * *

"Bella! That's...that's exquisite!" Padma Patil exclaimed as she along with Hermione sat on Bella's bed and watched the girl pose in her gown.

It was white, with black lace along the edges, and silver embroidery along the bodice as well as less subtle detailing in the bell skirt. It was dramatic in a purely Bella way.

"I was thinking of putting white in my hair, to match the dress." Bella said as she piled her hair on her head.

"No, don't do that!" Hermione nearly shouted. Padma and Bella both looked at her while Hermione laughed at herself. "It's just, I happen to know Harry likes your hair when its not colored, the best." Hermione said with a sly grin and giggle that Padma joined in with. Bella cocked an eyebrow and Hermione chuckled. "He thinks he can get away with it, just because most of our friends happen to be dense boys, but I see the way he looks at you Bella. He always gets this little grin when you don't add streaks in your hair."

Blushing, the Slytherin girl turned to her mirror as Padma and Hermione laughed. The days had slipped past quietly, without a hint of malaise in the air. Only six more days and the Yule Ball would come. Bella was happy and nervous about it. It wasn't a secret that she and Harry had a thing going on. But aside from holding hands and the occasional kiss on the cheek, they hadn't really done anything to prove it outright. Being together at a ball that Rita Skeeter would no doubt cover was a very grand way of saying "I'm Harry Potter's girlfriend!"

"Well then no streaks then." Bella said once her blush had calmed. She turned her head to the left and stretched out her neck a little, smiling at the way her hair draped itself. "Curls perhaps?"

"A few. The rest of your hair should be braided and twisted into a knot right here." Padma replied, getting off the bed to grasp a bunch of Bella's considerable hair and hold it at the back of her head. "See what's left over can be made into nice thick curls. And then you can just perch your hat right here." Padma said, grabbing the little white hat and putting it on Bella's head.

"You're going to look like some sort of fancy duchess." Hermione said as she examined the boots, gloves, corset and stockings laid out on the bed. "Harry's going to like it. You're his princess after all." She added with a little grin that had Bella blushing again.

"Aww does he really say that about her?" Padma asked, giggling as well as she toyed with Bella's hair. Bella was happy she at least had Padma back. For a moment, it felt like it had been before all the drama of third year. The feeling left but Bella held onto the memory dearly. She wanted that sort of peace to be in her life again someday.

"Well not anywhere I can hear him. Fred and George say it all the time, just because." Hermione explained to the girl.

"Well in this you'll look just like a princess. We can even put some little gems in the braids so you don't have to wear the hat all night." Padma decided.

"Alright, enough fussing with me, we'll figure it all out on the day of. Now then its Padma's turn to show us her outfit." Bella demanded with a grin as she pushed the Ravenclaw into her bathroom. Hermione waited until she was certain Padma was getting dressed before whispering, "Is she going to become a Knight?"

"We'll see." Was all Bella said and Hermione nodded before smirking.

"Yes, your highness."

"Shut up." Bella said with a smile.

* * *

Krum smirked as he watched Water moving among Her fellow students. Right in front of Bella's eyes, and yet hidden. Krum decided the time was not right yet for Water to be attacking them however.

So he kept Her identity quiet and focused on how to draw Bella further away from Light. Light was too close to her, due to her attachment to Potter. He'd have to break that too.

But there was plenty of time for all these things. First he had to get Bella to sink further into her own personal darkness. He needed her to completely forsake the light, or else there would be a chance his work would crumble into dust.

He needed her to be alone in confusion and panic, before he offered her his hand and a way into a new future.

Krum was certain he could get the tide of this coming war to crash on Light and Water, so long as he could corrupt the mind and heart of that little Earth girl.

Truly, it was amusing that the fate of everything had come to rest, not on the Boy-Who-Lived, but on a little illegitimate witch.

"It vill not be so difficult." He murmured as he stepped into the castle for breakfast.

* * *

Christmas Day dawned bright and cold. Bella couldn't help the squeal of laughter that came from her lips as she tore into her presents and stared at the assortment of things given to her from her family and friends.

She stared down at the small box from Harry when she came to it, wondering what could possibly be inside. Then she tore off the ribbon and wrapping to find a little box. Opening it she found a set of earrings. Not just any earrings, but a set of topaz that she'd mentioned liking on their last Hogsmeade trip.

Now they sat there in velvet, sparkling up at her. She felt her eyes sting a little and immediately put them on. True they were much simple than many of the things she owned, but to her they were the best of the best. Because they came from her boyfriend.

It still didn't seem right calling him that. Perhaps one day eventually she'd figure out the proper title to give to dear, sweet Harry.

She didn't see him much that day. Draco and she had decided to have breakfast on their own in the kitchens. Then they went out to play with everyone else in the snow. After about two hours Hermione and she lef the boys be, catching Luna and Padma in the entrance hall. Neville had asked Luna to be his date, after much stuttering and blushing. Luna was her dreamy self in public but Hermione and Bella had been witness to three girly squeals that had not come from either of them.

Now they all gathered in a dungeon that Bella said was one of Snapes personal rooms for brewing and Hermione and she cast many spells before setting up everything to get ready.

By the time seven-thirty rolled around they were all ready and Luna was adjusting a bow on the side of Bella's gown. "There, perfect." She deemed as they put everything away and prepared to leave the room and head for their dates. Draco had asked Padma as his date, and she'd accepted with a grin. Draco was a fine catch after all.

"Well I promised to meet Viktor at the doors so I'll see you all later." Hermione said, checking the silver pocketwatch Bella had added to her gown. It was the one she'd given Draco actually, and the soft melody playing from it cut off as Hermione closed it and handed it back to Bella.

"Bye!" Padma and Luna called, giggling and hiding the fact that Bella was busy glaring at a stone on the ground. Hermione dashed away with a grin, giving Bella time to recover her happy face before Luna or Padma noticed.

"Now then, let us be off." Bella said and the girls nodded, following Bella a step behind. Padma seemed to have picked up the habit subconciously and Bella hoped that was a good sign. She would love to have Padma as her friend once more.

They reached the Slytherin entrance just as Draco and Blaise came out. Draco blinked as he stared at Padma dressed like an Indian royal in her pretty, brightly dyed silk sari and the gold laced in her long dark hair. Padma blushed as Draco gave her a smirk and offered her his arm. Draco was dressed in black and white as well, looking like an English noble. Blaise was wearing dark blue dress robes that matched his eyes. Luna was wearing blue robes as well, her dirty blonde hair held back with a blue ribbon.

"You two really look like twins when you dress in the same colors." Padma noted looking between Draco and Bella as they all made their way up the stairs and into the entrance hall.

"Why thank you Padma." Draco and Bella said in unison, making their friends laugh just as they joined the crowd in the hall. Draco looked around for a second then smirked. "Well if it isn't Prince Charming." He muttered and Bella turned to find him staring at Harry and Neville as they walked down the stairs on the other side of the hall. The two paused, looking over the crowd as well before spotting their friends. They made their way over and the two groups met in the middle.

"Bell...wow." Harry said, taking a good look at Bella now. She smiled and took his hand, pushing a curl behind her ear to show off one of the topaz earrings. Harry grinned when he saw it before turning back to taking in Bella.

"Now then Knight," Draco said as he gave Harry a look, "you better not do anything stupid."

"Draco, pay attention to your own date and leave mine alone." Bella told her brother with a laugh as he sighed.

"Fine, I won't torment Potter. Just for tonight. Tomorrow he's fair game again."

"Whatever Malfoy." Harry replied making Bella grin.

"Oh, Parvati is not happy." Padma said suddenly and Bella turned to find Parvati with Dean Thomas, staring in their direction and looking mightily pissed off. Bella met her gaze then rolled her eyes and turned to the Great Hall doors where McGonagall was now standing. She ordered the Champions to form a line and Harry took her hand, leading her away from their friends.

"You look great Bell."

"Thanks. You look good too Harry." Bella said as she took in the bottlegreen dress robes. "You should wear green more." She said making Harry grin.

"Yes Harry, you look amazingly good in it." Hermione said from her spot next to Krum. Harry gaped at his friend then.

As the other students filed in past them Bella made sure to smile and remind herself that for tonight, there was no suspicions, no worries, nothing but the sweet feeling of going to a ball.

_Just for tonight, we'll be Harry and Bella and nothing more. _

* * *

_**And that's it for the chappy. ^^ The ball will be in the next chapter, but I figured tis was a good cut-off point or else this chapter might end up being really effing long. ^^ So till next time! **_


	32. Dancing and Sneaking Around

****

~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~

**(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I am but a humble fanfic authoress. **

* * *

**Part Four**

_**Chapter Thirty-Two: Dancing and Sneaking Around **_

Bella smiled as she and Harry followed the line to the head table where the judges were all waiting. She felt the eyes of everyone flickering over them and tilted her head a little so that the lights sparkled off the silver thread near her shoulders.

Harry was smiling and looking at her often, making her feel even more admired. They passed the Empire who had managed to stand together near the front of the hall and the Weasleys gave them both extremely low bows which had some people quirking eyebrows at them. Bella laughed along with Harry as they continued on to their table.

Ron Weasley was glaring at them all, eyes flickering from Hermione to Harry to Bella. Bella gave him a direct and narrow glare before Harry shifted, ever so slightly, and blocked her from his sight.

Looking up at him she found Harry was throwing Ron his own glare before he looked back as they climbed the few steps up to the dais where the judges table waited for them. Bella spotted Percy Weasley up there and sighed softly before Harry gave her a slight pull and they were sitting with Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang between them and Percy Weasley.

"I doubt he would have made a scene in a place such as this Harry." Bella whispered as they settled into their seats and heard the people in the hall doing the same.

"I wouldn't count on it, from that look on his face." Harry replied and touched her hand. Bella smiled then shook her head.

Harry chuckled then, fingers tightening on her hand. "I want tonight to be happy." He whispered. Bella turned to him and nodded.

"Me too."

Seeing Dumbledore pick up his menu and speak to his plate, the rest of the table placed their orders and began to eat and chat.

"Herm-own-ninny." Krum was saying and Bella lowered her eyes to the table to avoid glaring at him.

"Close enough." Hermione giggled as she caught Bella's eye and Bella twitched a smile onto her lips. Once the other girl had looked away she turned and found Harry staring at her. "What?" She asked with a soft grin.

Harry continued to study her for a few moments more before shaking his head. "Sometimes I think you're trying to do too much by yourself." He whispered softly.

Bella smirked softly, shaking her head. "And you never do?" She replied before finishing her meal.

Soon the laterns were going out and Harry was watching the stage as the Weird Sisters came up on it. He jumped a little, remembering he had to go dance, and stood up, taking Bella's hand as they walked out with the other Champions.

"I've never danced before." Harry muttered as they got in position. Bella laughed gently then.

"Well just follow my lead then. It's easy enough Harry, just don't think about it so much." Bella said as she positioned his hands and the music began.

Harry realized she was right. It was easy enough, so long as he kept his eyes on her face and his mind focused on the music. They whirled around slowly, between the other couples and on their own. It was easier when Harry didn't look t anybody and focused on Bella who was smiling serenely and humming along with the melody under her breath.

The slow song ended at last and Harry somehow managed to spin Bella in perfect harmony with the dying notes. Bella beamed at him as they stood there in the second of silence it took for the Weird Sisters to begin another song. "Oh I heard this one on the radio the other day." Bella commented and Harry looked at her smiling and giving a little shuffle before she turned to him. "Would you like to go sit down?" She asked him. Harry was about to say yes but then saw the way her fingers her moving at her side, following the rhythm of the music.

"No." Harry said, leading her deeper into the crowd. "We can dance another song." He told her and Bella smiled brightly once more before beginning to dance to the music. Harry focused on her and tried to follow along. He managed to get into it when Bella stopped and took his hands, pulling and pushing him to get him into the music.

Before he realized it half the night was over and they were both breathless. In desperate need of air and drink they made their way through the crowd to the refreshment table.

"Enjoying yourself then?" Blaise asked as he joined them at a table. Harry and Bella nodded. "I saw the two of you, you aren't half bad Potter. You could use some formal lessons though." Blaise said and Harry stuck his tongue out at him. Blaise laughed. "Well if you're planning on being at Bella's Coming of Age party, Mr. Malfoy is going to expect you to be able to dance the Lyra Waltz."

"The what?" Harry asked and turned to Bella who was shaking her head at Blaise.

"The Lyra Waltz, named after one of our Malfoy ancestors. Ever since her coming of age, girls and their chosen date for that night were expected to know the dance and dnace it well mind you." Bella rolled her eyes and smiled at Harry. "But that's ages away Harry, no need to worry about it now."

Harry rolled his eyes this time turning to Blaise. "And who exactly would teach me?"

Blaise chuckled as Bella blinked at Harry then looked away with a smile. No matter what she told herself and Potter, Blaise knew deep down that she was happy Harry was willing to go along with the traditions she'd grown up hearing.

"Well usually it would fall on the mother of the girl to instruct her suitor." Blaise said and Bella's eyes grew soft. Harry noticed this time and he put an arm around her shoulders. "However, since that's not possible, you'd probably have to talk to Mr. Malfoy or Professor Snape and have them find you an instructor."

"But like I said, its ages away Harry." Bella said with a laugh and a wave of her hand. "Besides, why worry about something that you don't have to. No one can predict how things will turn out." She said it with a smile but Harry felt something constrict in his chest.

Taking her hand in his he gave her a long look before shaking his head and laughing. "I'm not stupid enough to not stick around Bell." He murmured as he kissed her hand. Bella blushed, looking away when she caught Blaise hiding a grin behind his butterbeer bottle.

"What did you say now Blaise?" Hermione chided as she and Krum joined them at their table.

"Whatever makes you think I did anything Hermione?" Blaise asked, casting Krum a single, dagger-like glance. Bella wondered at that before focusing on her best friend.

Hermione laughed as she took a look at Harry and Bella. "Because Bella's blushing and Harry's got that goofy grin on his face." Bella turned and found Harry did indeed have a wide grin on his face.

Blaise chuckled. "I was merely commenting on Potter's lack of dance experience and how he would need to remedy that by Bella's Coming-of-Age ceremony."

Hermione laughed and looked thoughtfully at Harry. "Oh that's right, I forgot about the Lyra Waltz."

"How do you know about it?" Harry asked in surprise. Hermione giggled then.

"I didn't spend all my time in their library just reading up on spells." Hermione replied and Harry gave a soft shake of his head.

"I should have known." He replied shooting Hermione a playful glare.

"Should have known what?" Draco asked as he took the seat next to Bella and Padma settled down beside him.

The others laughed while Harry rolled his eyes. "That Hermione wasn't just using you library for homework. Blaise brought up this Lyra Waltz thing-"

Draco gave a little snort then. "Oh that's right, I had forgotten about that."

Harry gave a nod. "Well Blaise was saying my dancing needed some work if I was ever planning on dancing it."

"You're saying you're not?" Blaise prodded and Harry gave a soft huff as he punched Blaise's arm.

"I said I was planning on sticking around didn't I?" He asked his Slytherin friend who saluted him with his bottle.

Draco looked at Blaise then at Harry before chuckling. "You're not as thick as I thought Potter."

"Draco, you promised to leave Harry alone." Bella reminded her brother as he laughed and gave her a quick hug.

"Yes yes, but you have to admit, that was just too good an opportunity to let slip past."

The others laughed again. "I never would have thought you and Harry would be such good friends." Padma commented as she watched Harry and Draco shoot each other smirks and glares.

"Neither did I." Harry replied. "Bell's good at making us behave though." He added with a smile to the girl.

"If it weren't for Bella, we probably would have been mortal enemies." Draco murmured. He smirked after a second. "You defy all logic." He said at his sister who gave a pleased laugh in response.

* * *

"Ahh fresh air." Bella murmured as they walked through the gardens and followed a twisting path of rosebushes.

"Yeah, we needed it when Fred and George showed up." Harry said, feeling the echo of the gut ache the twins had caused him only a few minutes before when they'd joined their table and proceeded to get them all into a laughing frenzy while Ginny, Ron, and Percy had stared on in complete disgust.

"Oh but it was worth it, seeing their faces." Bella replied, and Harry knew she too was recalling the Weasleys dropped jaws and flushed faces scowling at them.

Giggling they made their way through the path, intending on enjoying the peace when they heard a voice they knew well.

"...don't see what there is to fuss about Igor."

"Severus you cannot pretend this isn't happening! It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can't deny it-"

"Then flee. Flee-I will make your excuses. I however, am remaining at Hogwarts." Severus rounded the corner then and found Harry and Bella standing before him. Karkaroff looked startled by their appearance as well. "Bella. Potter." Severus said to them.

"Papa Sev." Bella replied, turning to look at Karkaroff. "Everything alright Papa Sev?" She asked, letting go of Harry's hand to embrace the Potions Master. As he pat her head, Harry marveled at how the same man who snapped at Neville for exploding cauldrons could be so tender with Bella.

"Everything is well Bella." Severus replied but Bella continued to look up at him uneasily. "Nothing you need worry over." He added and pat her head gently. His black eyes found Harry then who looked right back with a defiant grimace. "Potter, be sure to continue behaving like a gentleman." There was a warning growl in Snape's words and Harry nodded. Snape gave him a short nod in return then gave Bella a short squeeze. "Run along now Bella."

"Yes Sev'rus." Bella took Harry hand and led him down a smaller trail. "It must be about That." Bella said more to herself than to Harry.

"About what?" Harry asked and Bella sighed, taking his hands and sitting down on a bench across from a stone reindeer.

"Well...you see..." Bella bit her lip then just dropped her head on Harry's shoulder. "Father and Sev have noticed their Dark Marks are coming back. Before this year, they were faint, faded. But they're coming back, getting clearer, all on their own..."

Harry gave a short gasp before he cursed and put an arm around Bella. "Is that why you've been so worried lately Bell?" He asked, patting her head as she nodded.

"That and those dreams about Water that I keep having." Bella pulled back to look into his eyes. "Harry, something very bad is coming." She spoke softly as she reached up to brush some of his hair behind his ear. "Very bad. And I worry because I know it will come after you."

Harry stared at her then, before pulling her into a stronger hug. Of all the things...Bella was worried because of him. He shook his head, thinking he had been very lucky the day he decided to give Bella Malfoy a chance. She was incredible sometimes, with how she managed to care about him on top of everything else. She never complained or faltered either. Harry pulled back and found Bella's eyes were hard silver, and her lips were twitched into the infamous Malfoy smirk.

"I won't give you up that easily thought Harry Potter. Whatever comes at you, will have to go through me. I'm going to use every ounce of strength and magic in my body to protect you."

"You don't have to." Harry said, feeling his face heat up. Bella shook her head with a chuckle.

"I know I don't. But I want to. And if I don't, who will save the Saviour?" She asked him with a grin. Harry laughed in spite of himself.

"You're mental." He said as he hugged Bella tightly once more. "Utterly mental."

Bella shrugged and rested her head on his shoulder. They were quiet for a time then, just staying still and enjoying each other's company. Until they heard the voice of that loveable giant Hagrid speaking from the other side of the stone reindeer. At first the two teens didn't really register what he was saying, then they found themselves paying closer attention as Hagrid blew his nose on a handkerchief.

"So, anyways, enough abou' me." Hagrid was saying now. "What about you? Which side have you go it on?"

Madame Maxime rose to her feet then. "It is chilly. I think I will go in now."

"Eh?" Hagrid asked. "No don' go! I've-I've never met another one before!"

"Anuzzer _what_, precisely?" Madame Maxime asked in a chilly tone.

"Another half-giant o' course!" Hagrid replied.

"'Ow dare you!" Madame Maxime burst out into the chill night. Bella and Harry shared a look as she continued. "I 'ave nevair been more insulted in my life! 'Alf-giant? _Moi_! I 'ave-I 'ave big bones!" And she stormed away, leaving Hagrid alone on the other side of the reindeer for a few minutes before he got up with a sigh and turned towards his hut.

"Oh goodness. So that's why Hagrid's so big." Bella murmured into the sudden stillness of the night. "We'd best keep that information to ourselves." Bella added as she shifted on the bench and snuggled closer to Harry.

"Why's that?" Harry wondered as he shifted so that her head rested on his chest.

Bella took a second to answer while picking at some silver thread in her skirt. "Well you see Harry, wizards just don't like giants. They're as vicious in real life as in the fairy tales. Horrible. Like trolls, they like killing for the fun of it." Bella paused and sighed. "It doesn't change my feelings for Hagrid mind you, we know he's cuddly as a kitten." Harry nodded as he continued to hold her. "But others wouldn't be so understanding, especially those who don't know him like we do."

"So there are giants in Britain?" Harry asked then, wondering how a giant could hide in the ever more populated world.

"No. They were dying out. Lots joined up with Voldemort in the later years of the First War. Most of the ones left live abroad in places Muggles can't easily get to. Even wizards have trouble finding them."

Harry took that information in for a moment then snorted. "I don't know who Maxime thinks she's kidding then. If Hagrid's half-giant then she definitely is. Big bones...the only thing that's got bigger bones than her is a dinosaur."

Bella giggled and closed her eyes. "We had better get inside soon or Draco will come looking for us."

Harry gave another snort then. "Your brother...he puts every other brother _and _dad on the planet to shame." He stood up nonetheless and helped Bella to her feet. Then he stood there for a moment, watching the fairy lights play on her face and hair before leaning down and kissing her gently on the lips. Bella sighed happily when he pulled away, her eyes mercury. Harry took her hand and smiled when she leaned on him a little. "I'm happy Bell." He whispered as they made their way up the trail. "Even though there is a whole bunch of stuff that we have to deal with tomorrow, tonight was nice."

"Tonight was nice because it was perfectly normal." Bella replied with a grin in her tone. "And I plan to have lots more perfectly normal times with you." She added as she turned to look up at him. Harry flushed, but grinned right back at her as they reentered the Great Hall.

* * *

The golden egg sat innocently enough in the middle of the table as the Empire all gathered around it.

"I 'ave already begun preparing for ze task." Fleur was saying to Bella as they drank tea while the others all stared at the egg. "It will be a trail for certain."

"I haven't figured it out yet." Harry admitted as he glared at the egg. Fleur arched one fine silvery eyebrow causing Harry to blush. "Cedric said to take a bath with it but that just doesn't make any sense!" Harry burst out angrily. Fleur had the habit of making him feel like a child.

New Years had come and gone and it was the first weekened of January. Adding to Harry's growing nerves about the egg was the fact that Hagrid had been missing from their last two Care of Magical Creatures class and they had all found out Rita Skeeter had printed a story about him in the Prophet.

It was just not their year, Bella had figured.

Fleur turned to Harry once more and then laughed brightly while taking up the teapot and pouring herself some more of the sweet smelling tea. "Zat is ze best thing to do." She replied making Harry gape at her. "I will not tell you what ze clue is. But for ze sake of competition I will tell you to place it under ze water."

"Wow, having Delacour around really is paying off." George said then making the others laugh while Fleur smirked.

"I simply will not have a little boy holding me back." Fleur said with a smile at Harry who sighed and flopped over next to Bella.

"She's annoying." Harry muttered into Bella's shoulder. Bella laughed and pat his back.

"Well she helped didn't she? So tonight you'll do as she said."

"Yeah yeah, take a bath, put the egg in the bath." Harry replied and grabbed a cup of tea himself. He saw Fleur staring at them then and frowned. "What?"

Fleur grinned then, a very sharp little grin. Harry had a feeling that if she'd been a Hogwarts student, her house would have been Slytherin. "Nothing really. You are a very good couple however." Fleur said and Bella smiled at her, giggling as she watched Harry blush and mutter into his teacup.

"Well one problem down, about a dozen more to go." Bella said after a while. "While you two work on your eggs, I think it's about time I started focusing on the Empire's main problem."

"Ze one who controls Water." Fleur said and Bella nodded.

"Water is close by. After all, everyone else has been." Bella said softly, looking from Fleur to Krum, Luna to Draco, then finally at her own hands. "It is not a Durmstrang student though."

"How do you know?" Krum asked, surprise on his face.

"You would have told me by now if it was, wouldn't've you?" She asked him with a chuckle. Krum nodded, looking surly. "And your nighttime strolls have discovered no one outside Hogwarts as of yet." Bella frowned and turned to Fleur. "Is there anyone you could think of in Beauxbatons who might be Water?"

Fleur thought for a few moments before shaking her head. "I 'ave showed off my power many times before, but I 'ave not noted any uzzer person 'oo felt like ze rest of you do."

Bella sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Then it is a Hogwarts student. I will have to begin searching through them. Luna, I want you to begin paying attention to those in Ravenclaw." Luna nodded serenely.

"Of course your majesty." Luna said making Bella pause for a moment. "Draco, I'll leave you in charge of our House." Draco nodded to his sister. "As for Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, I'll take on the issue of searching through them thoroughly."

"'Ow do you plan on doing zat?" Fleur asked as Bella got up from the table.

"Oh I have my ways Mademoiselle Delacour." Bella replied with an enigmatic smile. Fleur laughed softly under her breath.

"I 'ood not like to be on your bad side Mademoiselle Malfoy." Fleur replied while giving Bella a toast with her cup of tea.

* * *

Harry smirked as he handed the Marauder's Map and the Invisibility Cloak to Bella a few night later. "Now then, I'll sneak into Hufflepuff while you work on that egg." Bella said as she kissed Harry lightly. He blinked then gave her a kiss on the cheek while asking, "What was that for?"

"For luck." Bella replied before disappearing under the cloak. "I'll be back in an hour and I'll knock so I can give you these back." Bella whispered. Harry nodded and gave a wave in the direction of her voice before slipping inside the Prefects bathroom.

Waiting until he was inside with the door shut, Bella then turned and headed down through the hallways, peeking at the Map while trying to calm her heart.

She wandered down to the ground floor, then to the door next to it which she remembered led to the kitchens and more importantly, to the Hufflepuff common room and dorms.

Pausing in front of the entrance Bella smiled. Ravenclaw had a knocker that spoke in riddles. Gryffindor had the Fat Lady's portrait. The Slytherin's had a blank stretch of wall that only they knew the direct location of. Hufflepuff had a statue of a badger much like the statue of the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office.

Looking at the map, she saw the Hufflepuff common room was deserted. Her own little dot was the only thing awake it seemed, at least in this part of the castle. Her dot was also speaking. "Peace for All." Bella whispered to the badger, who's eyes flashed and then the wall behind it opened soundlessly. As she entered the common room it slid shut just as silently.

The Hufflepuff common room was a cozy place, with lots of plush and fluffy things everywhere. Board games, books, and other knick knacks filled the shelves and there were little sayings on portrait every few feet spouting sentiments such as 'Be Kind If Ye Wish For Kindness' and 'Never Automatically Believe The Worst of Anyone'. Bella had to sigh a little and smile. Looking at the map, Bella made her way through the Hufflepuff boys dorm first. The boys dorms were much like the ones in Gryffindor, one on every floor with a spiral staircase connecting them.

Now Bella focused more on the stones all around her and the deep magic of Hogwarts as she placed her hands on the first year's dorm door. Concentrating on the scent of damp earth and the roughness of the stones beside the door, Bella let her magic flow out and through the stone, allowing her to feel the signatures of the boys sleeping comfortably in their beds. None of them stood out, or had that certain pull like Luna and Fleur had had. Pulling herself back she moved on and repeated the process.

When she finished with the boys, she turned around and did the same to all the girls' dorms.

By the time she finished she was feeling exhausted from having used her magic so liberally and without purpose. She left the common room and checked Draco's pocket watch, which he'd loaned her while frowning about why she needed it.

It had been nearly two hours since she'd left Harry. Hurrying as much as she could she reached the prefect's bathroom and whispered the password. Shutting her eyes she poked her head inside. "Harry?" She whispered.

"It's okay Bell, I'm finished." Harry told her and she opened her eyes to find him frowning at the wall. Shutting the door behind her she took off the cloak and couldn't help the yawn that came to her then. Harry blinked at her then and took in her pale face and tired eyes. "Are you alright Bell?"

"Mmn...yes. I tired myself out a bit but nothing a good night's sleep won't fix." She promised him as Harry pulled the cloak around them and began leading the way downstairs towards the dungeons.

"So was it anyone in Hufflepuff?" He asked. Bella shook her head, yawning again.

"No. Perhaps Luna or Draco had better luck." Bella replied. "If not, then I'll need you to sneak me into Gryffindor."

Harry chuckled while they paused and checked the Marauder's Map. Then he continued to follow Bella towards the Slytherin common room. "I'm always happy to help you Bell."

Bella grinned as they finally reached their destination and she turned to face him. Hugging him tight she kissed him once more and pulled back. "And I'm always happy to help you Harry, so tomorrow you'll tell me all about that clue, okay?"

"Yeah." Harry kissed her cheek then let her out from under the cloak and made his way back upstairs, feeling more at ease than he had a few minutes ago. When Bella was on his side, he felt like he do just about anything.

* * *

_**And end chappy because to me it feels like a good stopping point. So hope you enjoyed! ^ ^. **_


	33. What You'll Sorely Miss

****

~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~

**(My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil)**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I am but a humble fanfic authoress. **

* * *

**Part Four**

_**Chapter Thirty-Three: What You'll Sorely Miss**_

_Come seek us where our voices sound,  
We cannot sing above the ground,  
And while you're searching, ponder this:  
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,  
An hour long you'll have to look,  
And to recover what we took,  
But past an hour-the prospect's black,  
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back._

"Well isn't that just lovely?" Fred said as Hermione copied the clue while Harry recited it. They were gathered in one of the deeper dungeons, and although normally freezing during January, a few spells from Blaise and Hermione had the place warm and covered in soft cushions.

"So what exactly does Potter have to do?" Crabbe asked while frowning at the words over Hermione's shoulder.

"The lake." Harry said as he turned to look at Bella who was also frowning at the parchment. "Myrtle helped me out-"

"Moaning Myrtle?" Hermione and Bella asked, blinking at Harry who blushed and nodded.

"She er hangs out in there." Harry said while the Empire erupted into laughter. "Scared me half to death when she just appeared out of nowhere."

"So...what did Myrtle say?" Hermione asked between snickers. Harry threw a cushion at her which Blaise pushed away at the last second.

"Well she showed up just as I finished listening to the song and I was thinking for a while then I asked what lived in the lake aside from the squid. She said all sorts of things. So I thought about it some more, wondering what could have a human voice and live underwater and that's when I looked at the picture of the mermaid-"

"What picture?" Draco interrupted. Harry rolled his eyes.

"The prefect's bathroom had a picture of a mermaid in it." Harry said impatiently before plowing ahead. "Anyway I looked at the picture and then asked Myrtle if merpeople lived in the lake. She complimented me on being quicker than Diggory." Harry chuckled then. "So I sat there thinking about it for a while and once I had figured out that I'd have to go into the lake, the rest of the clue made sense."

"Hmm...yes it does seem straightforward." Hermione said as she gave the clue another look. "I wonder what they'll take from you?"

"What?" George asked then taking a peek over Hermione's shoulder now. "They're going to steal from Harry?"

"More or less." Hermione replied pointing to the fourth line. "'We've taken what you'll sorely miss'. That pretty much means Harry's going to have to look for this something and take it back from the merpeople."

"While fighting every other thing that lives in the lake before he finds them of course." Bella spoke up then, eyes narrowed at the wall. "But all this is pretty useless to be talking about. We're missing the main point, aren't we Harry?" Bella asked turning to Harry with a heavy look. Harry reached for her hand and pondered what she meant before he remembered his major dilemma.

"How am I supposed to breathe underwater?" Harry asked then as he looked around at their gathered friends. "I'll have an hour to look for whatever they take, but that'll be a waste if I can't hold my breath long enough to go looking. The merpeople are bound to live right at the bottom too and who knows how long it'll take me to get down there on top of everything else?"

Thoughtful hmm's and shufflings followed this announcement while Harry realxed against the wall behind him. He smiled as Bella's head laid on his shoulder and her arms wrapped around his waist. "I'd be a goner without you guys." Harry murmured as Hermione and Blaise began discussing what sort of spells and charms would allow someone to breathe underwater, making a list on another sheet of parchment while Draco took the clue and read it with Fred and George reading over his shoulders. Crabbe, Goyle and Neville were remaining silent, looking deep in thought while Luna was staring dreamily at the ceiling, muttering to herself apparently because her lips were moving.

Fleur and Krum were keeping to their schools at the moment, Bella having decided it would look suspicious if they hung out too much the closer it got to the Second Task. That didn't mean they weren't keeping in touch. Surely Fleur would have sent an owl by dinnertime and Krum would speak to them when they settled down to a meal in the Great Hall.

Bella shook her head though and shut her eyes, letting Harry's presence relax her. "No, you would just be a little short for time." She promised him even though he gave a great snort of disbelief. "However, you do have us and that's the more important point."

Harry nodded, running his hand once over her hair before putting it back on her shoulder. Ever since the ball he'd been much more relaxed about holding her close and indulging on his silly whims like wanting to touch her hair. It was like that ball had been an important turn in their relationship, which seemed silly to Harry. Then again, maybe it was just because it had been so public and everyone had seen him with Bella, that he felt more at ease now. Who knew, he just was glad he did.

"I hate these tasks." Bella muttered as she continued to rest against him. "I hate how you have to participate, even when you don't want to."

"I do to." Harry murmured. "But I'm in it now and so I'll just have to do my best." Bella nodded and held him tighter. "Besides, I'm not the only one who has to do things they don't want to." Harry looked down at the top of Bella's head as the girl's hands tightened in his shirt.

"Yes but, that's _my _task to bear." Bella moved so that she could peer up at Harry who was smiling. "You worry about breathing underwater, I'll focus on weeding out our enemies."

"Our enemies?" Harry asked her, watching Draco join Blaise and Hermione now.

"They threaten our Empire Harry." Bella replied, snuggling back into him. Harry blinked for a moment, thinking he misheard the way she said 'our' then just mentally rolling his eyes and focusing on his friends trying to help him. "By the way, I want to investigate Gryffindor as soon as possible."

"Luna and Draco had no luck?" Harry asked, frowning at a spot on the wall. Bella shook her head. "Alright, whenever you want I'll get you in. But what if it isn't a Gryffindor either?"

"Then Krum has been lying to me or not doing his job. Either way, he'll have to answer to it." Bella promised in a soft hiss that reminded Harry of Parseltongue.

"I'm _very glad _I'm not on your bad side Bell." Harry said while giving her hair another pat.

"I am too Harry." She said as they heard the bell ringing, meaning their free period was over. "And I think I'll go into Gryffindor this weekend." She added as they began to clear their things and move up towards Potions class.

* * *

That first weekend of February found Bella sitting quietly on a table where Hermione had spread out most of her homework, so as to discourage anyone from joining her. Harry and Neville were on the couch across from Hermione's table. Harry was working on Transfiguration essay while Neville was reading, pausing every few minutes to discuss some way for Harry to survive underwater for an hour. Neville was reading from a book called _Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean_. Bella smiled. Neville had brought it up with her earlier in the day.

"I mean, I just thought, you know, if Harry's gonna have to go into the lake then maybe there's something in the lake that'll help him. Er, or, you know, something that grows underwater..." Neville had muttered while showing her the book.

"That's a great idea Neville! I didn't think of it like that." Bella had replied, genuinely pleased by his train of thought. She really hadn't. Her mind had been focusing on Water lately.

So Neville read while Harry and Hermione worked steadily and Bella sat cross-legged under the Invisibility Cloak on the table, taking deep, slow breaths and channeling her elemental power through the desk and into the stones, following every crack and cranny in the stones to feel the other students in the common room at the moment.

"Anything yet?" Hermione murmured, and to any casual observer she would appear to be mumbling about her Ancient Runes translation.

"No...it's a bit difficult with so many clustered together like this." Bella whispered back, pulling her power back and resting. "I'll wait until everyone's asleep and then do it dorm by dorm."

"Sounds good."

"What sounds good?" Bella startled, turning to find Ginny Weasley standing in front of Hermione's desk. Harry and Neville looked up and frowned at the redhead's back.

"This translation." Hermione replied evenly, holding up her Ancient Runes parchment. "Can I help you with anything?" Hermione added while looking up at the third year girl. Ginny huffed then scowled and flicked glance over her shoulder at Harry.

"I want to know about the Second Task." Ginny said with a grin on her face. Hermione blinked at the girl then let out a snort and a laugh.

"What makes you think I'd tell you?" Hermione demanded, making a calming motion towards Harry and Neville who had started to get up from their seats.

Bella was also wondering the same thing. Last she'd heard from the Gryffindors, Ron and Ginny were pretending the twins, Harry, Neville and Hermione didn't exist whenever they had to share the common room.

"Because, I've decided I want to be friends with everyone again." Ginny said as she smiled once more at the older girl.

"That's very sweet," Hermione said with sarcasm heavy in her tone, "but what makes you believe we want to be friends with you?"

Ginny scowled and narrowed her eyes before she checked her expression and chuckled. "What if I said I'd seen the error of my ways? Truly I have."

Bella was about to hex the girl with ringed nose hair but was stopped by the sudden haze that seemed to flicker into life around Ginny. Bella gaped.

_Ginny? Ginny has an element? No! It can't be! I've been around her plenty of times and I never noticed the feel of elemental power from her... _

But then the haze flickered and sputtered before regaining life. Bella watched more closely, studying the way it wavered while listening to the girl's words.

"Come on Hermione, you can't tell me you're feeling so chummy with Malfoy still. I heard she doesn't like Krum very much." Ginny murmured taking a seat beside Hermione now.

"That has absolutely nothing to do with my friendship with Bella." Hermione replied stiffly, returning to her homework. Ginny snorted softly.

"But it bothers you doesn't it? How she doesn't trust him?" Ginny asked. Bella wondered who Ginny had spying on them to have gained that bit of information. _It would be a riot if it turned out to be Pansy..._

Hermione sighed and set down her quill, turning to Ginny with what could be called a sweet smile, if not for the glint of annoyance in her eyes. "Ginny, whatever reason Bella has for not trusting Viktor is probably a good one. I trust her judgement more than I trust my own sometimes. She can see the things I miss." Bella gave a small gasp before smiling happily. It was good to hear Hermione say that. "That doesn't mean we suddenly hate each other or that I would forget everything you've done to her in spite of how kind she tried to be to you." Hermione ended with a sneer worthy of a Slytherin and turned back to her papers. Ginny scowled now as she stood, probably thinking she could intimidate Hermione by gaining some height.

"Oh Hermione, don't you see! She's just manipulating you like the Slytherin she is! She's not as good as you and Harry think!" Bella watched the redhead tirade and noticed that the haze seemed to trail off behind Giny, fading into the shadows of the common room-

The shadows.

Bella narrowed her eyes and focused more. Yes, the haze of power was much more faint the further from the shadows Ginny moved. The closer she got to them, the stronger they became. Using a bit of her own power, Bella reached out through the stones and felt the presence of Darkness, steady and thrumming in the shadows surrounding them. Ginny had no element after all. She was being pulled along on strings of power.

Krum's power.

"Ginny, enough!" Hermione shouted, standing up and thumping her fists on the tabletop. "I don't know what's got into you but you'll stop it right now! You can talk until you're blue in the face and I will still tell you the same thing! Bella Malfoy is my friend. She's a good, strong, steady person. She's there when I need her and not only when she wants to be. And she'll give people a chance, even if they're not worthy of that chance, like she did with you and Ronald." Hermione was pink now but she continued on. "I won't let you talk about her like she's some sort of devious snake! Get over yourself and stop this foolishness!"

Ginny gaped at her and while she was sufficently distracted Bella focused her power, centering it on the shadows. With everyone's attention focused on Hermione and Ginny, no one noticed the slight flash of her magic striking the largest concentration of shadows. The shadows writhed and receeded, leaving only real shadows as the strings connected to Ginny fell away. Ginny scowled, turning away and stomping to her dorm after that.

Breathing fast, Bella willed everyone to go to sleep already. It took until half past midnight for everyone to leave the common room, leaving only Neville, Harry and Hermione. As soon as Bella thought it was safe she turned towards her friends, remaining under the cloak just to be sure, and burst out, "Ginny was being controlled."

"What?" The Gryffindors asked as Bella hopped off the table, pacing back and forth in front of the table.

"I thought at first that Ginny was Water. I saw a haze around her, like I saw around Luna and Fleur. But then I noticed it wasn't steady. And so I focused more and I saw that there were strings of power on her, probably feeding her some sort of emotion or thoughts or something." Bella scowled at the floor at her feet.

"Strings of power?" Hermione asked. "What kind of power?"

Bella stopped pacing, turning to face her friend and feeling grateful the cloak hid her face. How was she going to say this?

"Elemental power." Bella said at last, not wanting to tell Hermione the whole truth. "I..." Bella faltered on the lie she wanted to tell as Hermione's eyes grew wide.

"Do you think Water was controlling Ginny?" Hermione whispered then. Bella gave a jump then a laugh followed by an annoyed growl.

"No, that would have been too easy." She groaned then and dropped into a seat. "Hermione...do you trust me?" She asked then looking up at her friend.

"Of course." Hermione replied without a second of hesitation.

"And would you believe me, no matter what I said, if I promised you it was the truth?" Bella pressed.

"Without question." Hermione promised then frowned. "Why?"

"Because the power controlling Ginny...was Darkness." Bella replied softly.

Hermione sat there gaping at the wall for a few seconds while Bella turned and stared at the dorms. Bella frowned and gave a nod to herself. "I'm going to start investigating. Just to make sure." She said and moved towards the boys dormitories.

Once again she focused her elemental power into the stones and through each dormitory. She spent at least five minutes at each dorm door, just feeling for any sort of indication of greater magical power. Nothing happened and she returned to the common room to rest.

Taking the Invisibility Cloak off she took deep breaths while Harry, Neville and Hermione waited quietly.

"Well?" Hermione asked, and her voice was neutral. Bella didn't know if that was good or bad, but gave her friend a wry smile.

"Nothing." Bella sighed then. "But there is something...maybe its residue left over from Ginny's possession." Bella told them as she picked up the cloak and draped it over her once more, heading to the girl's dorms. Hermione got up and followed her this time. Bella turned to her, staring at the look on Hermione's face. It was firm and set in a mask of calm. Bella reached out and touched her friend's shoulder. Hermione gave a little jump at the feeling then sighed and leaned against a wall.

"You told me you didn't trust him. You said it. I should have listened." Hermione murmured. Bella shook her head before reminding herself she was invisible.

"It's not your fault Hermione. I could see you liked him. I didn't say anything more because I wanted you to be happy for a while." Bella replied. Hermione gave her friend a smile then though her eyes were sad.

"Yes well, my love for the Empire is bigger than my liking for a boy." Hermione said then, tone and eyes serious. Bella felt herself grinning and she gave Hermione a hug before moving to the first year's door and beginning the process of reading auras all over again.

She felt a faint pulse of something, but nothing concrete in the first year dorm. That faint something got stronger at the second dorm and stronger at the third dorm.

It was as she reached the fourth year's dorm that she felt it. A steady hum of power. Turning to Hermione she whispered. "I need to go inside."

Hermione's eyes widened but she quickly entered, providing the distraction in case any of the girls inside stirred. None did and so Hermione went over to her trunk, rummaging quietly while Bella went from bed to bed.

A gasp of shock left her lips when she reached Parvati Patil's side. The haze of power was around her, just like it was around Fleur and Luna, Draco and Krum. Her aura felt cool and fluid, it rippled and spread. When it did that Bella jumped away, turning to Hermione and tapping her shoulder. The girl followed her back down the stairs and into the common room where Neville and Harry were beaming from ear to ear.

"I found her!" Bella exclaimed as she tore off the cloak and sucked in a deep breath. She was tired out again and her heart was hammering with the mingled relief and disbelief of Water's identity. "I found her."

"Who is it?" Hermione demanded while the boys looked up towards the girl's dorm.

"Parvati." Bella told them, her own eyes travelling back to the girl's staircase. Hermione gasped, clapping a hand to her mouth. Neville and Harry's jaws dropped.

"_Parvati_?" They all asked as Bella collapsed into an armchair. Harry moved over to her and she smiled when he took her hand in his own.

"Yes. I felt it and saw it. She's Water all right." Bella narrowed her eyes before they widened and turned to Harry and Neville. "What were you too grinning about anyway?"

Harry took a moment then the grin spread back over his lips. "Neville's found me a way to breathe underwater." He said as Neville came forward and held open his book.

Bella took the book and read the top of the left hand page. _Gillyweed. _It said. Hermione sat on the armrest and together the girls read the entry. By the time they looked back up at the boys, they were grinning widely as well.

"Gillyweed." Bella said and Harry nodded.

"Gillyweed." He repeated, looking hopeful for the first time in days.

"There's only one thing we need to figure out now." Neville said catching their attention. "Where are we going to find Gillyweed?" He asked and they all frowned thoughtfully for several moments until, as one, the Gryffindors turned to Bella who was surprised by the silly grins spread on their faces.

"What?" She asked, disconcerted a little by their bright-eyed expressions.

"Well your highness...you _are _the one with a Potions Master for a godfather." Hermione said then with a snicker. Bella blinked slowly then she grinned as well. For about two seconds.

"If Papa Sev has it...there's only one place I can think it would be. And even I'm not allowed in there without permission." Bella replied, her grin dying a quick and silent death. "His private storeroom has all sorts of enchantments on it that even I don't know about. Sev'rus seems to think I'll start dabbling in highly advanced potions if he let me in all the time..." The Gryffindors frowned as well.

Hermione cleared her throat then, and smirked when she caught their attention. "You're not allowed in there...but don't you have someone who can go there for you?" She asked.

Bella wracked her brains for a second. She couldn't think quickly right then. Her magic was low and her head was spinning with the realization that Parvati Patil of all people was the destructive Water. Slowly though, her mind reached the conclusion Hermione no doubt had in mind.

"House-elves can go through enchantments wizards can't." Bella said at last.

"Dobby." Harry said then and Bella nodded while Neville grinned. Bella groaned then and rubbed at her head. "Tomorrow though." Harry said as he helped Bella to her feet and retrieved the Invisibility Cloak. "You've done a lot tonight Bell. I'll take you back to Slytherin and we can deal with all this tomorrow."

Bella nodded, turning to Neville and Hermione. She gave them both a wide smile then. "Thank you, both of you. You've done well."

Neville and Hermione turned to each other then they bowed to Bella who blinked at the formality of the gesture. "Your highness." They said making Bella giggle and roll her eyes. She bid them good night and let Harry take her back to her dorm after that.

When she fell asleep however, all the relief and giddiness faded, and she dreamed of Krum and Parvati coming at her with wands drawn.

* * *

Bella called for a meeting of the Empire the next day. Krum and Fleur even managed to come, which meant Bella couldn't reveal Krum. Nor did she want to. The more she'd thought of it, the more she'd assured herself that keeping Krum in the dark, so to speak, would best serve her needs in the end. That meant keeping her faithful Knights clueless as well. It was a necessary evil, and one she would just have to put up with.

"I have many announcements today." Bella said when they entered the dungeon Bella had made. Hogwarts' stone had kindly rearranged itself to suit her. Bella sat on a high throne, while the others sat in chairs Hermione had conjured. Draco sat beside his sister, looking proud and smug. Harry stood by her side. She had already told him to sit but he'd just shaken his head and winked at her, saying his place was at her side. She'd blushed very much when he said that, and so had he, but she wouldn't deny having him at her side was very nice indeed.

"First of all, Harry's figured out how he's going to survive in the lake. Since two of the other three champions are here, I won't say how." Bella chuckled as Fred and George sighed loudly. She allowed a few seconds for that to sink in then turned her expression serious and leaned forward in her throne a little. "Secondly...amazingly...I found Water."

There were gasps and hisses. Krum looked surprised for a second before hastily covering it up. Bella nodded.

"It's Parvati." Luna said then in her dreamy way. Bella blinked then gave a chuckle as the surprised sounds coming from the Hogwarts students. Fleur and Krum were quiet, though Fleur looked more concerned than Krum did. Or maybe that was just Bella's prejudice against him making her see things. She didn't rightly know or care at the moment.

"How'd you know that?" Goyle asked her.

Luna pushed some dirty blonde hair behind her ear and took out a _Quibbler _from her bookbag. "I sensed it during the ball. I went to the loo and found Padma and Parvati in there, fighting. But since they were together I couldn't be sure who it was. Then when I was alone with Padma I felt it wasn't her."

"So why didn't you tell Bella?" Draco asked, eyes narrowed at the girl as she calmly turned a page in her magazine.

Luna peered over the top of the _Quibbler _with an arched eyebrow and a quizzical look. "If our Empress couldn't discover it on her own, then what kind of leader would she be?" Luna asked with a smile then. Bella put a hand on Draco's arm as he got ready to shout at her no doubt.

"Luna has a point." Bella replied. "I'm glad she's around to test me." She added in case anyone else felt Luna had done wrong by keeping it to herself. "Now then, we need to be careful. I want everyone to act the same around Parvati as always. No staring, no extra sneering, nothing that will alert her. I want to find out if she even knows what she has first."

"How're you gonna do that? Parvati doesn't like you at all Bella." Neville said then.

Bella smiled and tipped her head to the side. "No she doesn't. But there is one person Parvati simply cannot ignore, no matter what. Her twin." Bella smirked then. "Padma still has some friendly feelings for me. I'll simply use Padma to spy on Parvati."

There was a round of murmurings before Fleur spoke up. "'Ow will you get ze twin to spy on the uzzer one?"

Bella put a finger to her temple then, leaning back into her throne. "Now that I haven't thought of." She murmured a little embarrassed. She was the Empire's Empress after all. So far she'd had all the answers. This however, was a snag she hadn't forseen.

Fleur gave a chuckle then. "I believe I 'ave a way." She smiled as the Knights all turned to her. "I 'ave found zat sometimes I can hypnotize someone if zey stare at my flames long enough." Fleur made the blue-white flames appear in her hand then. "Per'aps I can make ze twin do as you wish zat way."

Bella stared long at Fleur then blinked slowly and felt a new thought spring to life in her mind. If Krum could control people with shadows and strings of his elemental power...and if Fleur could hypnotize people with her flames...did that mean she and Luna and Draco could also use their powers in similar ways?

"I will think about it. Padma is a friend after all." Bella said at last. "I would rather try to think of another way to use Padma without decieveing her."

Luna spoke up then, eyes still on her magazine, and said a most astounding thing. "Sometimes friends must be your pawns as well Empress." Luna turned a page. "You have to remember there are always sacrifices to be made in chess."

Bella met Luna's eyes then and nodded. One part of her couldn't fathom using her Knights, her friends, as pawns. But they were an Empire. Empires lived on the choices made by their rulers. Bella was the ruler. She was the one who directed the Knights. With evil threatening them, and Water a potent danger on their horizon, she may have to make some choices she'd rather avoid.

Looking up at Harry she wondered if she'd ever be able to use him in such a way.

Harry looked down at her then, meeting her mercury eyes and gave a slight bow, a smile on his face.

_I don't think he'd even give me the choice...if I ever had to. _Bella thought while turning back to her Knights.

"Okay...now that we know about Water, we're going to have to discover Light." Bella told them as she stood up. "Water has the potential to destroy us if we don't stop her." Bella told them all. "But Light...Light will be our utter ruin." She stopped and turned slowly to Harry. He was staring at her calmly. She smiled then turned back to the Knights, shaking her head. "Light isn't in the castle, or else we would have discovered him or her by now. But if Water is here, then Light can only be close by." She turned to Krum then. "You haven't felt anything at all through the shadows?"

"Nothing." Krum replied, shaking his head. "I haven't been out very far however." He added with an apologetic look. Bella waved it away, turning to pace a bit before stopping.

"Well that can mean very many different things. For now, just keep your eyes peeled would you?" Bella asked him and he nodded, giving a slight bow at her. She smirked and sighed. "The Second Task is in a few more days. Champions, focus on that for now. we'll talk more after that task is over and done with." Harry, Fleur and Krum nodded. "Okay I think that's it for now. Everyone go and have fun or something." She said with a grin. Fleur and Krum left then while the other Knights milled about, relaxing and talking amongst themselves.

Hermione came up to them then and asked quietly, "Why didn't you mention Viktor?"

The Slytherin girl smirked then. "I want to pay him back for thinking he could play with us Hermione. He'll know I know what a rotten jerk he is when I'm good and ready. We'll deal with him when we have deal with Water." Bella sighed, sitting back down in her throne. "Because no matter if she knows it or not, I have a feeling we're going to have to fight Parvati either way."

Hermione nodded and then settled down to chat with Blaise about Ancient Runes, which they had next period. Draco excused himself and left with Crabbe and Goyle. Harry took his seat and took Bella's hand.

"My head's spinning Harry. I feel like we're going to have our hands full soon enough." Bella murmured to him.

Harry smirked and shook his head. "You'll figure it out Bell. I know you will." He told her, kissing her cheek before just relaxing. Bella did the same, waiting for the bell to ring and letting her mind empty of worries for the moment. She felt like she was doing that a lot these days...

* * *

On the night before the Second Task, while the Knights were working in the library, Fred and Geroge appeared.

"So it's all set. Dobby checked for me last night. Sev'rus has a little box with fresh gillyweed. I already told him to deliver some to you an hour before the task." Bella was saying in a hush, in case the librarian Madam Pince was around. Spotting Fred and George she smiled welcomingly. They continued to look serious however. "What is it you two?"

"McGonagall wants to talk to you and Hermione." Fred said. "We're to escort you there." He added.

Bella and Hermione exchanged glances before getting up. Harry grasped her hand and looked concerned. "D'you think she thinks you've been helping me out too much?" He asked, eyes flickering around as if expecting to see a recorder or a spy camera somewhere.

"No. She can't have. We've been very discreet." Bella promised, kissing his cheek. "I'll see you in a while alright? Don't worry. It's probably nothing." Bella added as she and Hermione followed the twins.

Harry looked at Draco then at Neville, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Calm down Potter." Draco said suddenly, pulling out a deck of Exploding Snap. "Let's just wait until they get back. If they got a scolding, well there's nothing for it except to be more careful about how meet."

Sighing, Harry nodded and settled down with the other boys to play.

By the time Madam Pince came to shoo them out of the library, they were all worrying.

"Maybe they're back in the common rooms?" Neville suggested though he didn't look convinced. "Or serving detention?" He added making them all cringe.

"Well they have to head to the common rooms soon. We'll just see you lot in the morning." Harry said and Draco nodded, he and the other Slytherins moving away towards the dungeons.

Harry and Neville waited up, re-reading everything they'd learned on Gillyweed and checking the clock, thinking Hermione would show up and explain what had gone on.

Before the boys knew it, they were fast asleep.

* * *

"I haven't seen them at all!" Draco grouched as soon as Harry entered the Great Hall and sat down at the Slytherin table. "Not Granger or Bella."

"Hermione is missing?" Krum asked, a scowl on his face.

"Well she's not here, that's for damn sure." Blaise said, a scowl on his own face. Harry paused a second to wonder at that before shaking his head and serving himself breakfast.

"Maybe they slept in or something?" Crabbe suggested. Draco shook his head.

"I don't know about Granger but I checked Bella's room. She wasn't in there."

Worrying about the girls, they all jumped a little as Luna settled into the seat next to Neville. "Lovegood, have you seen Bella and Granger?" Draco asked her. Luna gave Draco a long look before shaking her head.

"You ought to know where they are." She chided with a small smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco nearly growled. Luna just turned to Harry then.

"'And while you're searching, ponder this: we've taken what you'll sorely miss'." Luna recited. Harry was about to ask what the heck that had to do with anything when he felt something click in his mind.

"What you'll sorely miss..." He whispered, looking over at Krum. "The girls are what we'll sorely miss!" Harry hissed. Krum's eyes widened then narrowed to slits of anger.

Draco gave a heavy sigh and let his hand slap his forehead. "Potter...are you trying to tell me that thanks to you...my sister's being held hostage by merpeople!" Draco asked in a dangerously low hiss.

"What was that Draco?" Asked a smooth voice. The boys looked up and around, their eyes widening as they saw Lucius Malfoy standing there with a finely arched eyebrow.

"Father! What're you doing here?" Draco asked as he got up and greeted the man with a small hug before Lucius Malfoy turned to Harry, his grey eyes narrowed.

"Dumbledore personally invited me to this task...and now I understand why." Lucius replied with a smirk on his lips. It wasn't a nice smirk at all. Harry gulped.

"Malfoy, stop intimidating my godson." Harry jumped at the second voice, getting up from his seat and spotting Sirius. "Hey there Harry. You're looking like utter shite. You alright?"

Harry nodded and then shook his head. "Er, I'm ready for the task but erm uh..."

"But he's once again dragged my daughter into a potentially dangerous situation." Lucius finished for him making Harry scowl.

"I don't do it on purpose!" He huffed, crossing his arms at glaring at the blonde man. Lucius eyed him for a second then turned away, heading towards the head table.

"Whether you do or do not is not the problem. You had best make certain to get Bella out quickly and safely." Lucius replied. Draco followed his father and Sirius sat down next to Harry while laughing.

Harry let him for about a minute before bursting out, "What're you laughing for!"

Sirius grinned at him then while ruffling his already messy hair. "I just didn't know you felt that strongly for Bella, that's all. It's cute."

Harry cuffed him on the arm and proceeded to devour the food on his plate. He was more determined than ever to succeed in this task. Bella was down there, waiting for him after all.

* * *

_**Hehe yes yes the cuteness of Bella being what Harry'll sorely miss. But anyway, next time, the second task and some Rita Skeeter madness. Hopefully anyway. **_


	34. A Knight's Many Duties

**My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot, which I hope is good. **

* * *

**Part Four**

_**Chapter Thirty-Four: A Knight's Many Duties **_

_An hour long you'll have to look,  
And to recover what we took,  
But past an hour-the prospect's black,  
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back._

Harry knew the clue couldn't be completely serious. There was no way the merpeople would keep Bella down in the lake forever if he didn't get to her within an hour.

Still, as he looked on from his spot on the lakeside, he couldn't help but feel a shiver of despair at that thought. If he never got to see Bella again...well who knew what he'd do?

Shaking his head, Harry half-listened to Bagman while he stripped down to his pants only and pulled the gillyweed out of his pocket, staring at the ball that looked like slimy rat tails all bunched together. Neville had said the effects lasted for about an hour and a half, a little more or less depending on the person. Harry was alright with that. So long as it lasted around an hour, he knew he'd do alright.

Looking to his left he saw Krum. Krum caught his eye then and the two stared each other down for a few seconds before looking away. Harry had to be wary. Fleur's element, Fire, wouldn't do much against him in the water. Plus, in spite of her condescending attitude, Bella trusted her. But Krum...

Darkness could go anywhere it wished, and do whatever it pleased. Harry would make sure to be wary of him while down in the lake. He cheered himself up by reminding him Earth was a part of the lake as well. So in a way, Bella was right there with him as well. He'd focus on her and he figured Krum wouldn't really try anything too obvious to slow him up.

"As all our champions appear ready, we will begin on my whistle." Bagman was saying to the crowd gathered along the stands. "Ready then?" Bagman asked, casting them all a look. Harry nodded, his eyes flickering over to the closest stand to him, where he could see two heads of platnium blonde hair with two black haired men sitting next to them. Draco sat next to his father, while the rest of the Empire surrounded him on every other side. Sirius was standing from his seat beside Snape, clapping and shouting encouragements. Snape sat next to Lucius, looking at the lake in a way that should by all rights make frost begin appearing along the edges.

"One, two, three!" Bagman blew his whistle and Harry shoved the gillyweed into his mouth, wading out a few feet. The gillyweed took a few seconds then suddenly Harry felt as if someone had covered his mouth and nose with something thick and damp. He couldn't get a breath. Clapping his hands to his neck he felt the gills growing along his skin. He dove down into the water in spite of the freezing chill and breathed in relief. He should have asked Neville more about the gillyweed's other effects, he thought as he began swimming downward.

The world he saw before his eyes was like an alien world. Everything looked green and the plants swayed slowly, as if time had slowed down once Harry entered the water. He looked down at his hands and saw webbing appearing between the fingers. His feet also had shifted and looked like fishy flippers. Harry grinned as he took another deep breath and began swimming out further. Soon he couldn't see the bottom anymore and everything got darker. Thankfully the gillyweed seemed to make him able to withstand the cold and the landscape he entered. He didn't seem to need to blink, and his webbed limbs made swimming a breeze.

He checked his watch and saw he'd lost about ten minutes already. That left fifty. _Plenty of time. _Harry thought with a laugh as he passed weeds and logs, sandy areas covered in stones and back into more weed forests. He swam deeper and deeper, knowing his prize lay at the bottom of the lake.

He reached a sort of meadow of green weeds after twenty minutes, and was staring at it, trying to see if there was any danger when he felt something catch his ankle. Turning his head around he spotted a grindylow. Harry kicked, trying to get it off him while digging into his pocket for his wand. Two more showed up in that time and latched onto his pant legs, tugging and trying to pull him down.

"Relashio!" Harry said, though it came out as bubbles instead of words. The spell also sent out a jet of hot water instead of sparks. But in the end it still had the same results. The hot water hit the creatures, stunning them for a second or two, which was plenty of time for Harry to dash away through the meadow and avoid more grindylows. He hurried onward once he'd left the grindylow trap and started looking around. It was darker down here and cooler. That could only mean he was getting close to bottom surely?

"How are you getting on?" Asked voice that had Harry yelping. Turning he spotted Moaning Myrtle in the lake, giggling as he made more bubbles with his quick motions.

"Myrtle!" Harry bubbled which made the ghost girl laugh more.

"You want to try over there." Myrtle said. "I won't come with you...they chase me away when I get too close..." Myrtle pouted then and crossed her arms. "Don't worry about your _girlfriend_, she's alright. Well she was when I saw them bring her down here." Myrtle added with a hint of something in her voice that had Harry rolling his eyes. He gave her a grin nonetheless and headed in the direction she'd pointed out. Soon he heard the merpeople singing and paused to pay attention.

_"...your time's half gone, so tarry not, lest what you seek stays here to rot..."_

Harry swam forward, taking in the rocks with pictures of merpeople and the stone houses from which little merchildren peeked their heads out. He had a sudden image of a skeleton covered in moss and clothed in Bella's robes. Shaking his head he banished the thought away. Bella was fine and the merpeople said he had half and hour to get back to the surface, which would be plenty.

He started searching around, wondering where Bella could be kept. It wasn't until about a minute later when he emerged from the rows of houses to find himself in a sort of village center. A choir of merpeople were gathered there, singing. And behind them were four poles made out of rock. Onto each pole was tied a figure. Harry dashed up and the faces became more clear. Cho Chang was on the further one to the left. Next to her was a little blonde girl. Beside her was Hermione. Which left...

"Bell!" Harry cried out in relief as he saw her. Her long dark hair was unbound and floated around her oddly. Her pale skin looked ghostly white in the green light of the lake. Her eyes were closed and her lips were pressed into a little pout. Harry had to laugh when he saw that. She looked as though she'd fallen asleep while annoyed at someone. Probably whoever brought her down here in the first place.

_That would be just like Bell_, Harry thought as he looked at the bindings that kept her in place. _To get annoyed at someone right before being dragged to the bottom of a freezing lake._ It was just what he would expect out of the Empress of the Empire. His Empress.

Blushing at his silly thoughts he returned to the task of finding a way to get her loose. He could spell them off, of course. He tried that but the spell didn't work. Frowning he tried again, saying the spell slowly. Still the bindings did nothing more than rattle. Huffing, Harry looked around. He saw rocks on the ground around the poles and swam down to pick through them. Maybe they couldn't use magic against their hostage for a reason, so he'd just have to do it the old fashioned way. Finding a decently sharp rock, he swam back up and started hacking away.

Halfway through cutting Bella loose, Harry gasped along with most of the merpeople as the water suddenly grew hot. Nearly boiling hot. And unless Harry's ears were decieving him, he thought he heard an anguished cry. The heat died away as quickly as it had come and Harry wondered what had produced it when he froze and looked into Bella's face.

Fleur. It had to have been Fleur. Harry wasn't questioning why he knew that, only that he did. Who else could create a heat wave that great, if not for Fire herself?

Harry frowned as he stared into Bella's sleeping face more. The other champions hadn't arrived yet. He was the only one so far.

Krum. His face popped into Harry's mind in an instant. He could just see the other boy now, swimming along, sending out thick tentacles of darkness like the giant squid, picking off Cedric and Fleur-

A sudden stirring in the water around him had Harry turning and drawing his wand, only to find Cedric there, grinning as he explained he'd gotten lost. Harry nodded when he said Fleur and Krum were catching up. He had a very certain feeling in the back of his mind that Fleur wouldn't be joining them.

As he cut away the last binding on Bella's arm he caught her and held her tightly against him a moment while looking at the little blonde girl. Hermione was Krum's, Cedric was already swimming away with Cho, which left the girl to be Fleur's hostage. Taking a closer look at her, she could have been-and probably was-Fleur's sister.

Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise suddenly and no sooner had he turned that he saw something swift and quick coming towards him. Krum, half transfigured into a shark. Krum went straight for Hermione, his teeth bared and ready to tear at the bindings. Harry snorted and hit the boy on the shoulder then held up the rock in his hand. Krum snatched it away, cut Hermione off quickly and scooped her into his arms then darted away like a torpedo.

He started to swim away too. He would be beyond the time limit at this rate and he didn't want to chance drowning because he'd lingered long enough for the gillyweed to stop working. He started to swim away when he looked down at Bella's face.

That pout seemed to be directed at him now. He could almost hear her in his mind. _Don't leave the little girl behind. Remember the song. _

_But it's just a song. _

_That doesn't make it any less wrong to leave a little girl all bound up at the bottom of the lake. Forgotten. Alone. What if she were awake? _

_But she's not-_

_Think of Fleur. You felt that heat, heard the shout. She's probably thinking up a million different scenarios about what could be happening to her little sister. _

_Bell, she'll be fine. _

_Keep telling yourself that Imperial Knight. _

Harry blinked, then turned to look at the girl. He was a Knight of the Empire. A knight. Knights saved people no matter what. He'd learned that much from Muggle tv and books. Knights were the good guys, who always did the right thing.

Mind made up he moved back down and picked up another rock, awkwardly moving Bella so that one of his arms were free. He started to cut at the girl's ties when he felt arms yank him back. Scowling he turned to the merpeople.

"You're only to take your own hostage." One of the males said. Harry narrowed his eyes at him.

"But her rescuer isn't coming! You felt that heat!" He bubbled at them. The merman just laughed and shook his head. Scowling Harry kicked away from him and gave him his best glare. "Look you, that girl is the sister of the girl who controls Fire." Harry didn't know if that would make any difference to the merpeople. "As in the element Fire. Think of how much hell she'll bring down on you guys for keeping her little sister all tied up and keeping me from helping!"

The merpeople were looking at him curiously now. Harry gave a short shout of frustration. "And do you see her?" Harry asked, pulling Bella up so that her head lolled onto his shoulder. "She controls Earth! In case you didn't notice, you're surrounded by it! Bell would be ticked off if she knew what you were doing and would rain stones onto your heads!" Harry let his voice turn cold as ice then. "And I'll do whatever I have to do to pay you back for this. It's not right. And... My empress would demand it." He said as he turned to look at Bella.

"Empress?" One merwoman asked suddenly, coming out from the crowd. Harry noticed how many of the merpeople backed away from her but ignored that detail at the moment as he nodded. "Your hostage is an Empress?"

"In a matter of speaking." Harry told her.

"And what are you to her?" The merwoman asked.

"Her Knight." Harry replied simply. "I'm a Knight." He added with a smile.

The merwoman looked from Bella to the girl then up towards the surface. "So it has begun anew?" The female said. "The war of the elements..." The merwoman swam back a foot and gave Harry a nod. "We have no wish to upset those with power. Take the child."

Harry grinned as he turned back and finished cutting the little girl away. He then hurried to swim away, lest the merpeople change their minds.

He hurried now, kicking for dear life while keeping his arms around the girls. He felt oddly content at the moment, even as he thought that he was well outside the hour time limit. But he'd done the right thing in his mind, and plus he'd gotten to shout at the infuriating merpeople for a while.

It was just as he started seeing more light that he felt his lungs suddenly sieze up. He felt something slipping closed along his throat and his eyes grew wide with panic. The gillyweed had run out! Kicking furiously, Harry tried not to concentrate on the burning of his lungs and his legs, or how much the two girls were weighing him down. He kicked and kicked, until his head broke the surface and he could suck in lungfuls of fresh, cold air. Pulling the girls up, he saw them stir and Bella let out a long sigh before she blinked and looked up at Harry.

"You got me." She said cheerfully enough as the green-haired heads of the merpeople popped out of the water and began to sing. Bella winced then turned to speak more to Harry and blinked. "You got the girl too?" She asked him.

"Er...yeah... I felt... Fleur didn't get there and so I...it just didn't feel right leaving her all tied up and alone..." Harry blushed until she threw an arm around his neck and laughed.

"Oh Harry! That's so sweet!" Bella exclaimed while kissing his cheek. She then noticed the crowd of people gathered along the lake bank, more importantly the Empire, Lucius and Sirius. "What're they doing here?"

"You can ask later. C'mon, help me with her. I don't know if she can swim." Harry said. Bella immediately took on of the girl's arms and put it around her neck then together she and Harry carried the girl until they reached the shallows.

Once they had they saw Fleur being held back by Madame Maxime, fighting hard to get free. She gasped when she spotted Bella and Harry holding the little girl up.

"Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is she alive! Is she 'urt!"

"She's fine Fleur!" Bella called. They let the little girl go just as Fleur escaped her headmistress and dashed forward, throwing herself down onto the muddy bank and pulling the little girl into a fierce hug. Harry had to admit, seeing her like that, sobbing over her little sister, made up for her attitude.

Harry turned to Bella just as their friends and family reached them. "You okay Bell?" Harry asked her. Bella nodded cheerfully, hugging him tightly even as her father and Draco looked on.

"What the bloody hell took you so long!" Draco demanded to know as he pulled Bella away from Harry to check her over. "I was starting to think you'd drowned or something!" Draco continued to shout, pale as a sheet and eyes round as saucers.

"Draco, you ought to have known better. Harry wouldn't let anything happen to me." Bella chided as she was pulled into her father's arms. Lucius pat her hair while Bella giggled.

Sirius also tugged Harry into a hug, then pulled him back and looked him over. "You alright there?" He asked, grey eyes seriously concerned.

"Of course Padfoot." Harry replied with a grin. Sirius barked a laugh.

Bella was pulling away from Severus, who had stolen her from Lucius and was turning to Fleur now. "What happened?" She asked as they all watched Dumbledore speak to a merwoman. Harry recognized her as the merwoman who'd spoken to him. The adults were all focused on Dumbledore and so Fleur stood and pulled her little sister closer to their little group.

"I was attacked. I said it was ze grindylows..." Fleur's blue eyes turned frosty. "But it was ze shadows..."

Madame Pomfrey broke through the knot then and pulled them all over to where Krum, Hermione, Cedric and Cho stood wrapped in blankets.

"Harry you made it! Thank goodness!" Hermione breathed an explosive sigh of relief as she waited for Pomfrey to wrap them in blankets and feed them some Pepperup Potion. "And Fleur...look at what those grindylows did!" Hermione pointed to the many cuts and tears along Fleur's swimming suit and body. Fleur shook her head as she pushed Gabrielle towards the nurse.

"It iz nothing." Fleur assured them all. "Look after Gabrielle please." Fleur turned to Harry then and smiled warmly. "You saved 'er, even though she was not your 'ostage." Fleur leaned over and placed a kiss on each of Harry's cheeks, making Harry blush a little. He caught Bella giggling out of the corner of his eyes and his blush darkened.

"It was nothing. I'm a Knight after all." He added with a grin.

Fleur nodded, turning to Bella and giving the girl a graceful bow. "You 'ave a fine Knight, Mademoiselle Malfoy."

Bella wrapped an arm around Harry and smiled up at him. "Yes I do." Harry felt his cheeks flush but he wrapped his arm around Bella's back and smiled anyway.

"I was not certain before, if you were truly capable of being a ruler." Fleur admitted while running a hand through her sister's silvery hair. "But...if you can inspire your Knight to act in such a way...then I am certain you can inspire many others to follow you." Fleur smiled as she bowed once more to the younger girl. "It will be my pleasure to witness it, Empress Malfoy."

Bagman's voice reached them then and they all turned to hear the scoring. Harry was sure he wasn't going to get many, if any, because he'd been so far beyond the time limit and because he'd broken the rules to save Gabrielle.

"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect. Merchieftainess Murcus tells us he was first to reach the hostages. He returned last, due to his determination to ensure the safety of the other hostages, and not merely his own. Most of the judges feel this shows strong moral fiber and merits full marks...however, Mr. Potter recieves forty-five points."

Hermione and the Empire, aside from Krum, burst into applause as Harry grinned. Bella kissed his cheeks and squeezed him hard while Sirius clapped him on the shoulder. Krum and Fleur were lead away by their Heads while Pomfrey began leading the others back inside to get out of their wet clothes.

"So what happened when McGonagall called you both up?" Harry asked then turning to Bella who was holding onto Lucius's hand, and keeping her other arm wrapped tightly around him.

"Well Professor Dumbledore met up with us in Professor McGonagall's office." Hermione said then. "He told us he would be putting us into an enchanted sleep and we'd be perfectly alright. He said we'd wake up once we were back above water again."

"A little warning would have been nice though." Bella huffed then as they reached the entrance hall. Harry laughed then.

"But if we had known ahead of time, it would have been difficult not to leave Harry some sort of clue wouldn't it?" Hermione argued. "You _know _you would have been tempted to cheat Bella."

Bella pushed a wet strand of black hair behind her shoulder and gave Harry a little devious grin. "But of course Hermione. I would have wanted to ensure my Champion would rescue me quickly." Harry felt himself blushing more. It only worsened when Sirius chuckled.

"Your Champion did alright." Sirius said in a teasing way that had Harry trying to bop him. They parted ways in the entrance hall and headed to their houses to change, every single one of them feeling relieved the task was over.

Once in the safety of the dark dungeons, Draco, not caring that Lucius and Severus were still with them, turned to his sister with a grave expression. "Shadows attacked Fleur."

"Yes." Bella frowned as well. "Krum must be wanting to cripple us somehow. Now that we know who Water is..." Bella stopped walking and the boys turned to her curiously. "None of you is to be alone with Krum from this day on. I don't want him trying to destroy my Knights as well. The less association we have with him, the better off we'll be." Bella scowled at the walls then, and at the shadowy corners. They didn't stir unnaturally or pulse with power but she wasn't going to let her guard down. "Let him believe we do not know of his treachery and he will eventually slip up." Bella eyed every boy, ending with Draco. "Are we clear?"

"Yes, your highness." They replied.

"What are you all going on about?" Severus asked then and Bella turned to face her father and godfather, a sweet smile on her lips.

"A game Papa Sev. That's all." Bella replied, her expression one of pure innocence. Then she blinked and her hands clenched into fists. "A very important game." Turning around she continued to walk towards the entrance of Slytherin. "One I will not lose. In the end, it will be the black knight that falls."

Draco chuckled then. "Are you saying you're the white queen then, Bella?"

"Don't be ridiculous Draco. I am the black queen." Bella replied as Blaise spoke the password and they entered the common room. "I will turn on him when he least expects it." Bella promised as the Slytherins clapped and came up to her.

Lucius and Severus turned to each other, then looked at Bella. She smiled and began to regale the crowd with the tale of what occured to land her in the lake. Many teased her about being what Potter would miss the most and Bella blushed while smiling dazzlingly.

Something was going on here, something that had somehow slipped past their notice. Bella looked determined to be the victor in whatever that something was...no matter the cost.

They both hoped it truly was a game and nothing more.

* * *

"Parvati seems to be unaware of her abilities." Bella announced to the gathered Knights. "Padma hasn't noticed anything odd in any case."

Fleur nodded, her silvery hair shining the the March sunshine. "She 'ood not notice." Fleur let her hand become engulfed in flame. "Unless she iz tested..."

"Tested?" Bella quirked an eyebrow at the older girl who nodded solemnly.

"I did not know of my gift until one day in my fourth year. One of the girls was practicing a spell. Suddenly ze whole classroom was in flames and I was trapped..." Fleur smiled then. "I felt annoyed. I commanded the flames to release me. Zey did so, falling back and dying out." Fleur made her blue-white flames sputter. "To be truly sure of whether zis Parvati is a threat...we must test her."

"A battle." Krum said then, speaking up from his seat next to Hermione.

"A battle?" Harry asked, looking up from his own seat. He had only sat down because Bella had asked him to. They were seated at a long table in one of the dungeons.

Krum nodded, turning to look at Bella. "A test, a battle, either vay you vill haff to confront her."

Bella bowed her head, nodding at his words. "Yes. That is the only way we can be sure." She looked up, her eyes steel. "But not now. We will wait for the most opportune moment, when all of us can fight against her." Bella stared up at the ceiling. "I want to take this as slow as possible. There is no need to tip her off. We will wait. Hopefully in the tense atmosphere of the last task we'll be able to get away with such an attack." Bella nodded then. "I am going to start escaping the grounds." She said suddenly making the Knights turn to her.

"We are." Draco replied making the eyes shift to him. "The Champions need to prepare for whatever your last task will be. Bella and I are tired of wondering where Light is. So we're going to just have to get off our laurels and begin using our powers. We'll create a tunnel out of the castle over the next few days and begin to search ourselves."

"I'm coming with you." Harry and several others said.

"No you're not." Bella said sharply. She stood up and shook her head. "First of all, it would be really suspicious if all of us disappeared around the same time. Secondly, Draco and I are powerful enough to take care of ourselves, whereas most of you, no offense, only have ordinary magic. And let's face it, Blaise and Hermione are the only ones who know more advanced spells that could maybe be of use." There were murmurings and shuffling at that.

"But we're you're Knights." Neville piped up then. "How're we supposed to serve you if you don't let us?"

Bella smiled at him then. "I'm going to entrust the protection of Hogwarts to you Knights. Watch Parvati, keep tabs on anything suspicious, that sort of thing."

More mutterings came but Bella knew they'd fall in line. Well most of them. Turning to her left she saw Harry eyeing her steadily, his green eyes hard as emeralds. She gave a short shake of her head then turned back to the Knights. "Bad things are happening. There's no denying it anymore. Soon enough, we're going to have to face it. Whatever it is." Bella shook her head and turned to the door. "I think that's all for today." She added as she pushed her seat back and began to leave.

Harry caught her hand and kept her at his side. He saw everyone else stop then frowned and waved them away. "I need to talk to Bell alone." The Knights nodded and left. Draco stopped at the doorway.

"I'll be waiting at the spot." Draco told his sister who nodded. He left then and shut the door behind him. Bella sat down next to Harry and he got up to start pacing.

"You could get caught. Dumbledore knows pretty much everything that goes on here." Harry told her.

"We could get caught, yes. Will we? No." Bella smiled. "It's true, Dumbledore knows pretty much everything that happens in the castle. But that's only when those things concern him in some fashion. Our fight is not his own, therefore he won't notice it until much, much later."

"You sure about that?"

"Positive." Bella caught his sleeve as he began to walk past her. "Harry, this is getting even bigger than Dumbledore. At the start of year we just wanted him to get off our backs and leave us alone. Didn't you ever stop to wonder why he wanted to separate us? And not just that load of bull he fed to the Weasleys." Bella added quickly when she saw Harry's mouth pop open.

Harry frowned, thinking about that as he sat back down. "Do you think," Harry said after a few minutes, "that he knew something else was going on?"

Bella gave a short nod. "I'm sure he knew something else was brewing around here, and he worried about how that would affect _you_. All this Elemental War stuff wouldn't have completely escaped his notice. Like you said, he knows pretty much everything that goes on around here. _Most _of the time of course. Even he makes his mistakes, like he did with Sirius." Bella sighed and shook her head. "It's grown so much in so little time. Now we're facing total destruction because of two people, and Krum, and everything is just getting so much more real." Bella dropped her head on Harry's chest. "I won't lose though."

Harry held her close and nodded. "We won't lose." He corrected, making Bella smile brightly.

"I'm happy to hear you're with me." Bella replied, letting him hold her tightly for a few minutes. "I'm still going."

Harry sighed in exasperation but knew arguing would do no good. She was an Empress after all. She made the rules here.

"I still want to come. I don't like the thought of you being off on your own. And besides, what good am I as your Imperial Knight if you won't let me protect you?" Harry told her. Bella was about to repeat what she'd said before when she caught the worry shimmering in his eyes. Her voice caught in her throat. He was already _that _worried? She hadn't even done anything yet! Harry was such a silly Knight...such a sweet Knight...

Kissing him sweetly she pulled back to glare sternly. "I'll let you come on one condition." Harry's face split into a grin and he nodded without waiting to hear the condition. "You bring your cloak and stay under it unless I say otherwise. Got it?"

Harry got up then and grabbed her hand, bowing over it before kissing it, like he'd seen in a Muggle movie once. Bella blushed pink at the gesture. "Yes, your highness." Harry replied, making his tone as serious as possible. Bella stood up as well and kissed him again.

"Good." Bella giggled and they walked out of the dungeon, heading up to the entrance hall. _You're always so worried about protecting me Harry...and I'm always so worried about protecting you. __It's a miracle we've survived this long. _Looking up into Harry's relaxed face, Bella had to smirk though. _We're lucky that way though. Because we'll always be together. _

_I'll make sure of it. _

* * *

Harry lay awake in his bed that evening, going over everything that had been said during their meeting. Bella and Draco were going to go out and start actively searching for the person who could, quite literally, kill them all. The holder of Light. Harry had to snort at the irony. Light and Water would wash them all away. Snuff out their lives without a pause. He wasn't going to just let them go out searching for troule.

He knew that they really didn't need him. Bella could manipulate Earth, Draco had the power to twist Space. He'd gotten glimpses of what they could do with their powers. He was sure he didn't even know the half of it.

But he still wanted to be there. Bella would be facing danger and Harry felt it was only right to be by her side when she did. She had done it for him.

Besides, as a Knight, he had to protect his queen didn't he? That's what he had gathered from all the old Muggle books and movies that had knights and queens in them. It was a Knight's duty to protect his Queen.

Nodding to the ceiling, Harry turned over and fell asleep.

* * *

_**I tried to come up with some Rita Skeeter madness, but it just wouldn't have fit into the tone of this chappy. So next time okay? ^^. Thanks for reading! **_


	35. Dirty Work

**My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot, which I hope is good. **

* * *

**Part Four**

_**Chapter Thirty-Five: Dirty Work**_

The white knight went spinning off the chess board, cleaved in two. Bella stared at the broken little piece on the floor for a long moment before turning to look up at Blaise.

"You sacrificed your knight." She noted, looking down at the board as she contemplated her next move. Her King would be toppled soon enough, while Blaise had set up a defense so strong she couldn't immediately see a way through it.

"I'm after a bigger prize." Blaise said as his eyes focused on Bella's remaining black knight. The other had met an end much like its white counterpart.

Bella chuckled then and moved a pawn. "So I see. Tell me, does that have anything to do with the death glares you've been giving Krum lately?"

Blaise let out a small choked sound before clearing his throat and having her pawn destroyed. "What do you think, my lady?"

Bella smiled as she moved her knight forward and watched it kill a bishop. "I think you have certain issues concerning a Scholary Aegis." Blaise frowned as Bella smiled and sent forth another pawn. "Well my Royal Advisor? Do you deny it?"

In response Blaise had his castle utterly destroy her remaining knight.

"I thought as much." Bella giggled as she moved her king in vain. Blaise had her in two more moves and she sat back in her seat, shaking her head. "You should just tell her how you feel."

"Doing so might jepordaize your mission to keep Krum unawares." Blaise muttered then. Bella blinked and Blaise smirked now. "Did you think I failed to notice your unease in shadowy places?" Blaise asked as Bella looked around the brightly lit room. She'd sent lights into every speck of shadow she could see. She ought to have known Blaise would notice.

"Just because you confess feelings for Hermione does not mean Krum will tie it to me distrusting him." Bella replied with a grin. Blaise shrugged. "I never figured you of all people would be afraid of confessing to a girl." Blaise scowled at her now making her smirk. "Go on and tell her Blaise. What's the worst that could happen?"

"She could say she's not interested." Blaise mumbled, getting up and waving his wand at the chess set. Bella rolled her eyes again and they left the room. "Is this why you wanted to talk to me alone?" Blaise asked as they headed to class.

"Yes." Bella replied and waved as Harry rounded the corner. "Take the chance Blaise." She said as Harry raced down the corridor. "You'll be sorry if you don't." She hurried forward and met Harry halfway, catching his hand and smiling. "We'll be working tonight." She whispered to him as she kissed his cheek. Harry nodded and smiled.

"How long will we work?" Harry asked in an undertone as they headed towards the dungeons for Potions.

"Two hours." Bella replied. "You saw what using my powers for an extended period does to me. Draco's the same. We figure that we can manage two hours before we begin to really feel the fatigue. If we start at midnight, work until about two in the morning, that gives us four to five hours to rest up before classes. That's really all we we've been working on anyway. We'll fall a little behind on the homework, but we'll just catch up this weekend. The priority is to finish the tunnel."

Harry nodded, pulling her close for a second then pulling away as they approached the dungeon door. The rest of the class was already gathered there and many of the Gryffindors sneered while the Slytherins all chuckled and smirked at the couple. Even though a week had passed since the second task, everyone was still talking about it. Most especially how Bella was what Harry would sorely miss and how Krum would miss Hermione the most. Hermione was a bit tetchy as she joined them in the hall, waiting for Severus to open the doors.

"I got more death glares from Krum's fanclub." Hermione told Bella as she shoved a book into her bag. "I swear I'll start hexing people if they don't knock it off!"

"What's that Granger?" Pansy asked with a big sneer. "You, hexing people? Ha! Don't make me laugh. You wouldn't because it's against your precious rules!"

"Parkinson, shut the bloody hell up!" Hermione snapped and several gasps filled the hallway. Blaise, Neville, Draco, Harry and Bella laughed.

"Good for you Hermione." Blaise said then and Hermione smiled at the boy before rolling her eyes skyward.

"Get over it! I'm allowed to say that when I'm in a bad mood!" Hermione spat at the murmuring Gryffindors.

Bella half-turned then to where Parvati and Lavender stood. Bella let her eyes narrow slightly as she watched Parvati's aura ebb and flow, shimmy and shudder in the dim dungeon lights. She wondered if Parvati noticed the same around her? If she had, she was playing stupid very well...

The door opened then and they walked into class, sitting in the last two tables on the right.

"So will you be beginning your tunneling tonight?" Hermione asked while Severus strode to the blackboard and waved his wand to reveal they were working on Wit-Sharpening Potions today.

Bella nodded, setting her cauldron up then beginning to work on gathering the right ingredients.

"Where will you go after the tunnel is finished?" Hermione murmured while Severus passed by, casting them a stern glance.

The Slytherin girl waited for her godfather to pass, giving him a big grin and an innocent look. He turned away looking mildly curious still. "Draco and I will search Hogsmeade, then expand outwards. We'll take our brooms and fly out to the little villages and if we have to, we'll go to the major cities."

"You don't think you'll have to?" Harry asked then. Bella shook her head.

"Light is nearby. Close. I just know they are." Bella glared as she pounded her scarab bettles. "I'm going to get them and find a way to rid myself of dealing with Krum as well."

* * *

Harry had to admit, he was awestruck.

At midnight he'd joined Bella and Draco in a rarely used dungeon far from Severus's quarters and Slytherin house. He was under his cloak, wand in hand, running over a few spells he'd had Hermione begin teaching him in anticipation for whoever they were going out to find.

As a distant clock chimed midnight the two told Harry to step back and they had begun to focus their power on the floor of the dungeon. He couldn't tell who was doing what, he could only see the stone floor shifting, bunching up and opening a large circle patch of wet earth. The wet earth began to shift as well, bunching up, lifting into the air, creating mounds of loose dirt while he watched. It was an event that Harry would remember for the rest of his life. Both Malfoys worked steadily, their bodies shimmering with a soft light, their eyes mercury and their magic filling every breath Harry took.

By one o'clock they'd tunneled at least six feet into the dirt. They paused to take a break, taking the water and crackers Harry sent down to them. He sat on the edge of the hole, wand lit, while Draco and Bella plopped onto the dirty floor, taking large gulps of water and stuffing crackers into their mouths. Harry didn't envy them the heavy price they paid though, in spite of the awesome powers they displayed.

"You two alright?" Harry called down softly.

"Peachy Potter." Draco replied with a yawn.

"Bell?"

"I'm fine. Just a little tired. Nothing to worry about." Bella replied, dusting her hands free of crumbs and standing with Draco's help. She swayed a little, but caught herself on the earthen wall. Harry frowned as she sent him a grin before turning to face Draco. "We should start heading out towards the Shrieking Shack tunnel."

"The Shrieking Shack?" Harry asked while Draco studied the tunnel.

"Mmhm. Draco said it would make more sense to make a tunnel which connected to another tunnel. Less work that way, and it would still take us where we wanted to go. Once we're in Hogsmeade, it'll be easy to steal away to other places."

Harry nodded at that logic. It did make plenty of sense. So on they worked, digging downwards four more feet. Once they hit roughly ten feet, and Harry's wandlight no longer illuminated them, they stopped.

"What's the time Potter?"

"Half past one."

There was a bit of silence then the earth under Harry shifted and stone steps began to appear. He took the hint, hopping down them and reaching the teens quickly. "Now stand back Potter. The dirt can't go up anymore, so it's going to be flying out to the sides. Stay behind us." Draco ordered. Harry nodded, holding his wand high so that their workspace was lit.

Loose dirt, clumps, and pebbles began flying to the sides. Harry noted that whatever was knocked loose from above seemed to just roll away to the sides. He figrued that must be Draco's doing. Bella was starting to grow shiny-faced and pale as the minutes ticked on.

They paused again when Draco's knees suddenly gave out and he collapsed onto the dirt floor. "Draco!" Bella cried, turning to Draco's side and helping him stand.

"Ugh...sorry...just sort of lost it." The blonde said.

"Maybe we ought to call it a night then." Harry suggested, seeing the fatigue plainly on both their faces.

Draco dug into his pocket and pulled out his watch, popping it open. The soft, tinkling melody filled the earthy space as he checked the time. "Quarter past two."

"We went a bit over." Bella murmured as the melody was suddenly cut off.

"Let's get out of here then you two." Harry said in a firm voice. The Malfoys both looked at him then nodded.

"Not bad for our first day's work." Draco muttered as they dragged themselves up the steps.

"Yeah. But next time you're giving me the watch so I can make sure you don't go past two hours." Harry told them as they shook themselves as clean as possible.

They parted ways once they'd locked the door, and Harry headed up to Gryffindor with a small frown on his face.

The time-limit on Draco and Bella's powers worried him. He wondered if Luna, Fleur and Krum also had those limits. If they did, then they'd have to be careful when they 'tested' Parvati. If the battle lasted more than an hour, Harry wasn't sure he would like the outcome.

* * *

Bella sighed and rubbed at her eyes. After a quick shower the night before, she'd passed out and had been reluctant to wake up from her bed. Blaise said Draco had been much the same. They'd been catching as much sleep as possible, taking notes and then spacing off in classes all day. If the professors noticed, they didn't comment which Bella was grateful for.

She was headed back to the dorms for lunch. She was more tired than hungry and she'd eat at dinner which was what really mattered to her then. Harry was at her side, frowning.

"You ought to spend tonight resting and start again tomorrow. There's no rush Bell. You've got plenty of time."

Bella shook her head, leaning against Harry as they waited for the stairs to stop moving so they could continue on their way.

"I'll be fine Harry. I'll be more than fine once we can get into Hogsmeade." Bella promsied him. "Call me crazy, but that's where I know we'll find Light."

"How can you be so sure?" Harry asked, wondering if there was something Bella wasn't telling him.

The girl was quiet for a few seconds before she murmured, "I just have a gut feeling. Light will have been drawn here. Light is being cautious though."

Harry left it at that. In this Elemental War, he played only the knight.

"So how much longer do you think it'll take?"

Bella looked up to see him frowning at the distance as they walked down the stairs. He didn't like it, she could tell. "I'm not exactly sure. We'll have to tunnel around to avoid some of the lower dungeons. Then we'll have to be careful not to hit the lake." Bella sighed and rubbed her head. "All we need is to get to the Shrieking Shack tunnel."

Harry sighed heavily as they went into the dungeons and Bella began leading him through the maze of hallways. "I don't like it. Why can't we just sneak out one night and go through the Whomping Willow?"

"Because people would notice our absence if we did it every night, which is what I plan to do. And of course there's the fact that from Hagrid's hut and the Beauxbatons carriage you can see the Whomping Willow on even the worst days."

Harry grimaced. She had a point. People would notice is Bella and Draco weren't around at dinnertimes. And they'd notice if he wasn't there either and put two and two together. Damn.

"I don't like it. What if the bloke who controls Light is waiting for you like you say he is? What if he figures out what you're doing? I saw how weak you and Draco got last night. You've got a limit of two hours with your powers. That means if Light is waiting for you, you'll be weaker than a newborn kitten. Say it takes a week to burrow from the castle to the Willow's tunnel. You'll both be worn out by then. You'll need to rest for who knows how long before you meet up with him. He'll take advantage of it. He'll sense you in the village the minute you get in it and he'll try and hurt you." Harry stopped his arguing when he caught sight of Bella's wide grin. "What?"

Bella just continued to grin as she wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest. Harry held her in return, dropping his chin onto her head. "You're a nutter." Harry told her, smiling when she laughed.

"Maybe but you love me anyways." Bella replied teasingly. Harry felt his cheeks blush.

"Yeah I do, so could you stop making me worry so much?" He mumbled. He felt Bella stiffen then and she pulled back to look up at him with wide mercury eyes. "What?" He asked, half-grinning at her stunned expression.

She shook her head, grinning once more before leaning up to kiss him. Harry kissed her in return, one hand winding in her hair, the other wrapping around her more securely. She sighed and leaned into him more, hands bunching in his shirt.

When they pulled away to breathe, both looked starry-eyed and were flushed bright pink. Harry kept a firm grip on Bella though, not letting her move away too much. Bella didn't seem to mind, she simply lay her head back on his chest.

"Promise me once the tunnel's finished, you'll take a few days to recover. I know you'll want to go through the next day but you're going to be weak Bell." Harry said softly, his hand running down through her hair. "I saw how you were last night. You won't be ready the next day, or even the day after that. You'll need to rest and then you'll have to make sure if you do get into a fight with Light, that you try not to let it go past an hour."

"You've been worrying all day, haven't you?"

"All day. All last night too." Harry replied. Bella shifted in his grip and turned her head up to look at him. She was smiling but her eyes were a little too bright.

"Once the tunnel's finished, I promise I'll spend at least a week getting better. I won't go looking for trouble. But when I do, you're coming with me. You'll have to make sure I don't loose my head and think I'm invincible." Bella grinned when Harry nodded and kissed her temple.

"Now come on. You need a nap."

Bella nodded and expected Harry to release her. He just shifted his grip and led her right up to the Slytherin entrance. "Er...Harry?"

Harry looked at her with a grin. "I'll make sure no one bother's you."

"You're coming into my room?" Bella asked with a faint blush coming to her cheeks. Harry laughed and shook his head.

"I'm going to sit outside your room, and keep everyone out. Then I'll wake you up in time for DADA." Harry explained. Bella was surprised. Harry hadn't ever expressed any desire to step into the Slytherin common room, let alone stay for an extended period. She couldn't help but smile.

She said the password and waved to some of the older years who were in the common room, studying. They all looked curiously at Harry but made no comment or rude gestures. Harry pulled a comfortable looking chair over by Bella's bedroom door and smirked as she entered her room. "Get some sleep." he ordered. She nodded and walked inside, shutting the door.

Harry ignored the looks and pulled out his Astronomy homework. Might as well get something done while he was guarding the Empress's bedchamber.

* * *

"Where are we now Potter?" Draco asked as he and Bella paused when his pocketwatch chimed. Harry had insisted the third day that they take breaks every half hour. He hated seeing them both straining themselves, working on the new secret tunnel that was appearing on the Marauder's Map. For the past six days they'd been meeting every evening at midnight, and Harry would keep watch on the map while they worked. They'd had to focus their digging towards the lake to get out of the range of the dungeons, which spread like a beehive for at least four stories under the castle. Harry had never realized how extensive they were until he'd begun checking the map to make sure they didn't hit any.

They'd managed to bypass the dungeons and were now working towards the Whomping Willow. They'd have to go around the eatern shore of the lake, making sure not to go so far up that they broke the surface, but not so deep that they risked hitting a vein of water and flooding the tunnel.

"We're nearly past the lake. If you keep working we should have gotten a few feet by the end of the shift." Harry explained, showing him the map. Draco looked it over then nodded.

"We should hit the Willow tunnel by Tuesday then." Draco said, mostly to himself.

"And then you're going to take a week off to rest up." Harry said sternly. "And don't give me that look Malfoy, you look like shite and the teachers are starting to notice."

Draco sighed, hating that Harry had a good point. The teachers were starting to notice that he and Bella looked more fatigued than everyone else. Considering that they'd been rooting around in the dirt for the past six days, Draco could appreciate the concern in Harry's voice.

"Alright, yeah a week to rest up." Draco huffed when Harry continued to give him the death glare. Harry smirked then, clapping him on the back.

"Knew you were smarter than I thought." Harry said and Draco scowled at him before punching his arm and turning to find Bella looking at them with soft eyes and a soft smile. He smiled back and rolled his eyes, making his sister grin.

"Let's hurry up and get as much done as we can. We got a half hour left." Draco huffed and Harry stepped up behind Bella as she rose to her feet, wobbling a little. She cast them both an easy smile then set her stance and held her hands out in front of her, as if pushing against a solid wall. Draco did the same, his arms extending to the sides to help Bella shift the earth and flatten the dirt as it fell around them.

* * *

Bella felt weightless, and not in the good way, like she felt when Harry kissed her. She felt weightless in the same way that she often did before she got a horrible flu. Her body felt much too light and she had trouble focusing in class. But they were so close. Last night had been their tenth night of straight, solid work and she was really starting to feel the stress that using her powers like that was doing to her. She thought it had to do with the fact that this was the first time she was focusing her power into one purpose. Harry had been right though, her power had a limit. It looked like she had just about maxed that limit.

_Another step. Another. One more. _Bella found herself thinking as she followed Draco, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle through the halls towards the Great Hall for lunch. Draco too seemed to be struggling to just walk at the moment.

Then without warning Draco's legs gave out and he fell into Blaise, who caught the blonde before he hit the ground. "Draco!" Blaise exclaimed, struggling to hold him upright. Goyle hurried over, taking the slighter boy and holding Draco against his bulky frame. Blaise turned around to look at Bella who was leaning against the wall, using it to keep herself upright. Seeing Draco pass out seemed to take the rest of her strength and she'd forced herself to lean into the wall instead of following Draco to the floor.

"What is going on here?" came a voice and Blaise felt himself pale as Severus pushed past the gathered crowd. "What are you all doing crowding-" Severus's spotted Draco, being held up by Goyle, and Bella, leaning shakily against the wall.

"Papa Sev..." Bella tried to say but she lost the battle at last and slid down the wall. Severus didn't waste a second trying to pry explanations from the others. He conjured two stretchers and had the boys lift Draco into one while he lifted Bella into the other.

"Out of the way." Severus called and the crowd parted as Severus hurried towards the hospital wing, the two Malfoys floating along behind him.

* * *

Harry, Hermione, Neville and Luna hurried up the stairs during break, running as fast as they could towards the hospital wing. Fleur was right behind them.

They entered the hospital wing to find Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle already there, along with Padma and the Weasley twins.

"What happened?" Hermione asked the minute they were close enough. Draco and Bella lay side by side, both their breathing was labored and they both had sweat on their sickly pale faces.

"Pomfrey says they're magically exhausted." Fred murmured softly. "She says that they must have been pushing their magical cores beyond their limits, but she can't figure out how."

Harry gulped as Bella moaned and her head moved to the side, her face flushed with fever. "Why're they sick though?" He asked, moving over to her side and taking her hand in his. "She's boiling!" He exclaimed.

"Draco's in a bad way too." Blaise said.

"What iz happening to zem?" Fleur murmured, looking from the blonde boy to his raven-haired sister.

"Their bodies are forcing them to shut down." Pomfrey said from behind them. "So that they may repair whatever damage has been caused by their overtaxing their magical cores."

"Damage?" Harry asked swiftly, eyes alarmed. The nurse nodded.

"We are extremely resisliant, more so than Muggles, because of the added stress our magic puts on our bodies. Our bodies channel the magic we have been born with throughout every aspect of ourselves, from our bones to our muscles to our very skin. We literally cannot exisit without it. But when a wizard uses too much magic, or uses it for too long, it leads to magical exhuastion."

"When that happens, a few days in bed often helps the core recover and thus the magic is stablized and returned to the rest of our bodies." Pomfrey paused to look sternly over the gathered group of teenagers. "However, whatever Mr. and Miss Malfoy have been doing has done greater damage than simply using too much magic during a duel. Their magic has become unstable and is putting even more stress on their bodies than normal. Their immune systems have reacted, thinking there is an intruding bacteria or virus that has begun attacking from within, which explains the fever."

Pomfrey turned to give them another stern look. "Do any of you know what these two have been up to?"

Harry looked over the gathered knights swiftly. They all shared looks before turning to the nurse.

"No clue ma'am." George said with a shrug and a frown. Pomfrey looked like she didn't believe them but left it alone for the moment.

"So how long will they be like this?" Harry wondered.

"Until their magic levels have returned to normal, which considering how much of it has been depleted, will take at least two days of continuous rest." Pomfrey replied. "Their cores must become stable first, and then the magic can resume its normal functions within the body." The nurse left then, to check on another student further down the wing. Once she was out of earshot, Harry turned to find everyone looking at him.

"They've been working every night on the tunnel. They'd nearly finished it too." Harry whispered to his friends. "I knew it. I knew it wasn't right for them to keep doing it every night. And I was going to force them to stop after tonight. I could see it. Everyone could see it. They were working themselves too hard. Why didn't I make them stop?"

"Arry, it iz not your fault." Fleur said stoutly, her beautiful face set in a frown. "I 'ave noticed zat ze Malfoys are not ze type to rest until zere work is finished." Fleur put a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder. "You could not stop zem even if you begged zem. Zey are leaders, and therefore are not used to being told what to do."

Harry half-smiled. She was right. Neither Malfoy was a follower. The only people they truly followed was each other. They were leaders, and would have promised him they would stop the next day, or the day after that. They would have continued putting him off until their task was finished.

"Still...I should have tried." Harry muttered. Fleur shook her head and pulled a chair to sit between the two.

"What tunnel?" Padma Patil asked suddenly. Everyone of the Knights froze, turning to look at her. They'd forgotten she was there. Oh bloody hell...

Padma looked sternly at each of them, then crossed her arms and scowled slightly. "Look I know you guys are in some sort of club. I can tell. I'm a Ravenclaw after all." She eyed them all very annoyed as they looked at each other. "I'm Bella's friend! You can trust me."

"Can we?" Blaise asked, turning to Padma with a heavy glare. "This is more than just a club Patil." He added gravely. Padma considered him for a moment before nodding.

"I haven't told Parvati that Bella has me spying on her, have I?" Padma asked and the Knights all blinked making Padma roll her eyes. "Like I said, I'm a Ravenclaw. We're know for our intelligence. I knew something was up when Bella began asking about my sister. I'd never noticed anything odd about Parvati but ever since Bella's made me start looking, I have been noticing some things..."

"Then you've been lying to Bella." Crabbe said with a huff. "She told us you hadn't noticed anything."

Several of his fellow Knights gave him exasperated looks but Crabbe continued to eye Padma.

"I didn't know what Bella wanted me to look for." Padma replied. "What if, whatever I was noticing, was nothing important? That's why I didn't tell her anything about Parvati or that boy-"

"What boy?" Harry asked now. Padma frowned.

"Tell me what you're all doing, what's really going on, and I'll tell you all about Parvati and her boyfriend." Padma argued. The Knights all looked at each other again, debating silently. Then Hermione turned to Blaise.

"You're the Royal Advisor." Hermione said softly. "Since our Empress and the Prince cannot make a decision, it falls to you."

Blaise looked at Hermione for a moment before asking quietly, "What if I make the wrong choice?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Then we'll deal with it, together, the way we would if Bella or Draco made a mistake." Hermione put a hand on his arm and squeeze, her smile encouraging now. "You're brilliant Blaise, but you worry far too much about consequences. In the end we're all only human. We're young too, which means we're bound to make mistakes or have set-backs. But you can't let yourself worry about it too much or you'll never move forward. You'll always be left worrying about what could have been instead of what is."

Blaise smiled at Hermione then. He had a feeling that little speech was applying to more than one situation. He'd deal with the other after they dealt with this more pressing dilemma.

"Very well. Considering Patil has shown some loyalty in our Empress, I decree we induct her into the Knights and brief her on our findings."

Hermione smiled and nodded, then turned to Padma with narrowed eyes. "Are you willing to keep the secrets we're about to impart on you, no matter what? Are you capable of being utterly loyal to Bella and the Empire we have created? Are you willing to become a Knight in her service and assist us all in furthering her goals?"

Padma looked surprised at the solemnity in Hermione's tone but nodded all the same. "I will keep the secrets you'll share with me, and I promise to be loyal to Bella, and I'll work as a Knight and do whatever is asked of me."

Hermione gave the girl a sharp smirk before nodding and tapping her hand with her wand. There was a small flash of purple light and then Hermione looked satisfied. "I placed a hex on you, to make sure that while Bella is recovering you don't renege on your promises." Padma looked offended but understanding.

And so the Knights began to tell her everything from the beginning of the year until that moment. Padma listened with curiosity and no small amount of awe as she learned of the elements, the ones who weilded them, and what Bella had deduced about Water and Light.

When they had finished, Blaise turned to the girl with an expectant look. "You have information you wished to share as well." He said and Padma nodded.

"Parvati met a boy over the summer." Padma said slowly. "He came with some relatives, a friend of our cousin. The boy took to Parvati real quickly, and soon they were disappearing together off into the city or into some room. Parvati always went to bed with a goofy look on her face." Padma shook her head. "She's been writing to him all year, and he's been writing to her. One afternoon we were talking together and an owl came just as she left for the loo. I took it, thinking she wouldn't care, and opened it." Padma looked around at them all then.

"The boy was talking about meeting her in Hogsmeade during our next trip there. He said in his letter that 'the time is drawing near' and that 'soon you will experience your true potential'. Things like that. Parvati got very upset when she saw me reading it. I thought the boy was talking about well, something else. Parvati laughed when I told her what I thought he'd meant and gave me this weird look." Padma shut her eyes as if to see her memory better. "She looked all smug and like she pitied me for a second. Then she smiled and hugged me."

"She said 'Don't worry Padma' and that she wasn't going to do anything stupid like that. That she was just going to change a certain order. She called it an order. She said things were going to change, but that she'd take care of me when they did so I had nothing to worry about."

Padma looked around at the Knights again, a wry twist to her lips. "She was talking about the Elemental War wasn't she? That boy must hold an element too."

"He's Light." Harry said as he watched Bella's flushed face scrunch up with pain. "He has to be."

"Do you know his name?" Hermione asked Padma. Padma nodded.

"Yes. The signature in the letter was simply the letter L, but I remember that our cousin introduced him as Lance Baldur."

The Knights all sagged for a moment as they learned the name of their second enemy then they grew rigid. "We have to finish the tunnel." Fred muttered while he checked his watch. "Break's almost over. We need to get going to class." He looked over at Draco and Bella then frowned. "Maybe someone should stay here, to stand guard."

"I'm staying." Harry replied without looking away as Bella began murmuring under her breath, one hand stretching out in front of her blindly. From the look of fear on her face, Harry thought he could guess what she was seeing. A dark and endless forest full of sounds and sights that had haunted her nightmares for years.

"I'll stay too then." Luna said and perched in a chair next to Draco's bed. Everyone nodded and the rest left. Once they were alone with just the suffering teens, Harry heard Luna say, "So it will be done then. Soon, we will have to battle with Light and Water."

"Yeah, you'll all have to fight against them." Harry replied. "And we'll all be behind you."

"Yes...you'll all be with us..." Luna replied as she shut her eyes and begun humming under her breath while wiping a wet cloth over Draco's face. Harry noted the basin filled with cool water then and dipped a small towel into it, then went to Bella's side and began wiping at her face, brushing the soaked strands of hair to the side.

* * *

_**And that's chappy end. Thanks for waiting ever so patiently. ^^ I'm sorry it took so long but I started Still Doll and Good Luck Has its Storms and I just let this one fall on the backburner. Sorry! Hope this makes up for the wait though!**_


	36. The Next Move

**My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

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**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot, which I hope is good. **

**Haha, well as mmmgirl13 put it, for the sake of my readers health, here is the next chapter. **

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**Part Four**

_**Chapter Thirty-Six: The Next Move**_

"Cover!" Fred called and they all crouched down low, sheilding their heads, as the modified firework imploded and blasted a good five feet into the tunnel. Once the dirt had settled a bit they hacked away, patting down dirt and pushing it against the sides, working feverishly to get the tunnel finished.

Their Hogsmeade trip would be in another week, and it didn't seem as if Bella or Draco would be up to the task of finding him, or fighting him, whichever it came down to.

Two days had passed and the Malfoys continued to lay in their hospital beds, sometimes shivering, other times deliriously murmuring in their sleep, and always with that fever raging through them.

Two whole days without their leaders and the Empire was starting to feel watched.

It just seemed like they were being watched closely by the professors. None of them had revealed the reason why the Malfoys were suffering from severe magical exhaustion. Whenever they'd seen Lucius Malfoy though, it had seemed like he knew.

"Okay, we're ready for the next one. How much further Harry?" George said as he and Fred worked to shove the next firework into a hole, setting the fuse up so they had a decent amount of time to take cover.

"Another one should do it." Harry told them, panting as he checked the map. "We're almost right up against the Willow's tunnel."

"Alright everyone, get ready." Fred called and he lit the fuse. They all rushed away from the immediate sight, then crouched and covered as another blast rained down dirt and pebbles on them.

A whoosh of air alerted them that they'd finally hit the other tunnel. They carved away at the stubborn clods of dirt and patted everything down then peered into the tunnel and basked in the cool air rushing through the narrow passage.

"There. We're finished." Goyle panted out as he leaned on his shovel and wiped at the sweat on his brow.

* * *

Bella was gasping when they visited her the following morning. She seemed to be having a nightmare and Harry hurried over, grabbing her hand. "Bella, it's alright, breathe." He spoke calmly and evenly, trying not to spook her from her sleep.

Her eyes fluttered and she whimpered but her gasping quieted back into harsh breathing.

"Are they doing any better?" Luna asked Madame Pomfrey who was bustling over with a tray full of potions.

"There has been no satisfactory change." Severus's voice replied coldly from behind them. They jumped and saw Lucius there, looking like he'd hurried through a shower, and Severus. Also, to Harry's happiness and confusion, there was Sirius.

"Help her sit up Potter." Pomfrey ordered and Harry lifted Bella up, proping her against him while Pomfrey forced four potions down her throat. Once she moved onto Draco, Harry laid her gently back down and waited for the nurse to bustle away.

Once the witch was in her office again, Harry turned to the three men and saw them eyeing him and his friends.

"We want to know what is going on." Lucius said it simply, in a quiet voice, but the steel in his eyes reminded Harry that these aristocratic type spoke more with their eyes than their voices.

"We would tell you...if Bella and Draco said it was okay." Luna replied then, blinking her pale blue eyes at the blonde wizard before cocking her head and shutting her eyes. She hummed and nodded for a minute before turning to Blaise.

"What is it?" Blaise asked.

"Fire was reporting." Luna murmured. "Darkness is on his way."

"Damn." Blaise grumbled. "I hoped he'd stay the hell away. I don't trust him, not when they're in this condition."

"Blaise!" Severus hissed his name so menacingly that Blaise couldn't stiffle the urge to shudder. "All of you will speak what you know. You will tell us. It may help us determine whether or not to move them to St. Mungo's for specialized treatment."

The Knights looked at one another then they all turned to Harry who was wiping at Bella's forehead. "Harry." Blaise called and Harry turned to him with a questioning look. "What do you think?"

Harry blinked at the dark-skinned boy, then slowly looked at Lucius and Severus, at his godfather, then back at Bella. "It's your call Blaise. I'm only a knight after all."

"You're the Imperial Knight." Blaise told him with a bit of annoyance. "You're as close to Bella as I am. So tell me what you think."

Harry bowed his head, his eyes half-closed. "I think... Bella wouldn't want them involved. Not yet. Not until she was certain of the other players." Harry looked up then. "It's her game Blaise, her rules and her moves. Until she gives me an order, I am not going to mess with the way the game is set."

"I have to say Harry, this doesn't sound good at all." Sirius said then, walking over to his godson and putting a hand on his shoulder. "What exactly were Draco and Bella up to?"

"It's a game Sirius. Just a game." Harry told him in a cheerful tone.

"Don't give us that utter shite Potter." Severus snapped making the students blink at him. "This goes beyong a game."

"Does it have to do with their powers?" Lucius asked, looking down at his son and daughter with a haunted sort of face. "Just tell me that."

"Yes." Harry replied. "It has everything to do with their powers."

For a few minutes only the sounds of Draco and Bella breathing filled the infirmary.

The floor began to tremble then. Harry gasped, then felt his eyes bulge as the air suddenly seemed to vanish from the space around him. He tried to suck in more air but their wasn't any. He staggered back, flailing, until Sirius grabbed his robes and yanked him back.

He gasped in deep lungfuls of air while blinking his vision clear of spots. Once he had he looked over to the beds.

Bella was glowing, awash in a golden-brown light. Her breathing seemed to ease as it washed over her. Draco looked distorted, the air around him rippling and shifting, so that one second Harry could see him just fine, and the next it was like Draco had been covered in an Invisibility cloak.

"Ah, they're getting better." Luna said as she walked a few steps forward, then placed her hands against empty space. "Their bodies are repaired. Their magic will stabilize now."

"How can you be so sure?" Fred asked while the girl hummed and sighed.

"The wind says so." Luna replied.

The wizards looked on as Luna stood still and a rippling breeze came into existance around her. She murmured under her breath then the breeze flitted through the window, traveling down onto the grounds. "Fleur will be here soon. They already feel much more normal." Luna told them with a smile before she sat on a chair and watched as the two teens continued to be healed by their elements. "But it'll get along much faster if they have help." The girl added as she walked forward and placed her hands in the air once more. She started talking quiet under her breath and a breeze swept through the room, smelling of freshly excavated earth and heavy with an unnatural strength.

Fleur arrived a few minutes later, stopping when she saw Lucius, Severus and Sirius. But then she took note of Luna and stood up right next to the girl, hands outstretched. And then a heat like a summer sun filled the room, cooling and heating back up in a steady wave.

"Vat is happening here?" Krum's voice startled the other Knights as the young man stepped into the room, eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Fleur and Luna.

"We are 'elping zem 'eal." Fleur replied, eyes cool as they studied him. "Will you 'elp us?"

Harry held his breath then as Krum studied Bella's prone form. His hand tightened around his wand in his pocket. The Bulgarian wasn't able to attack her, because of the spell collar Bella had told them about. But that didn't mean he couldn't attack anyone else.

Krum slowly shook his head. "My element vood only hinder their healing." Krum told them and leaned against the wall while the girls returned to their work.

They continued to use their powers for about an hour, then there was a gentle pressure that filled the room and pressed against all of them. Fleur and Luna lowered their hands, removing the heat and the wind from the hospital wing.

Draco was the first to stir. His eyes fluttered open and he looked around him, as if unsure he was safe. Then he blinked and sat up, staring around at all of them, a smirk coming to his lips after a few moments.

"So you had a point Potter. We pushed it a little too far." He muttered before slumping back onto his mattress with a groan. Harry watched him for a moment then turned to Bella. She was opening her eyes too but she remained laying in bed.

"We're alright." Bella said softly as she continued to stare at all the worried faces. "I'm hungry enough to eat a hippogriff though." She added with a grin.

The tension seemed to break at last and their beds were crowded in on, as the Knights all babbled and the adult wizards tried to not get crushed.

"Stop, stop stop." Bella called over the din. She was begin helped up by Severus and waving her hand impatiently. "Okay, everyone calm down. I heard a bunch of stuff in there that we'll discuss." Bella promised even as her eyes flickering to the adults. "After I've eaten and gotten a bath, not necessarily in that order."

"You mean after you've eaten, bathed, and then told us why exactly you were suffering from extremely severe magical exhaustion." Lucius said in a voice as cold as ice. Bella turned to her father then and sighed heavily.

"No." She told him, making Lucius blink in surprise. "Because then I couldn't do what I need to and that would make me be cross with you, which I don't want to be Father."

"Bella, you could have died." Severus whispered in a fierce hiss. Bella shook her head again.

"I won't die. Not with everyone looking out for me." Bella shook her head as she saw him prepare to argue. "Papa Sev please!" She cut him off, her eyes filling with tears. Harry couldn't tell if they were genuine or not but he felt his gut clench with guilt nonetheless. "Please...Sev'rus, Father, listen to me." Bella punctuated that plea by banging her fist on her bed. "Listen. You can't help and I won't let you. For your own good, because this isn't your battle."

"Potter said it was a game." Lucius cut in then. Bella smirked a little then.

"And it is Father. A very important game." Bella turned then and her eyes found Krum where he leaned against the wall. "I must make my move now. It is my turn." Krum strode forward then, expression aloof. Bella sighed heavily before sitting up a little straighter.

"Why will you not let us help you?" Severus asked, a touch of desperation in his tone. "Why won't you tell us what is going on Bella?"

Bella dropped her head and stared at her hands. At least it looked that way to everyone else. When she lifted her eyes once more, they were steely and filled with determination.

"Severus...I'm too tired right now to fight with you properly, and in the right way that'll end up with me winning the argument." Bella said making Severus blink at the bluntness in her speech. "I need food and a bath and to talk to my Knights and think of the next damned move I have to make." Bella huffed, laying in her bed with a sort of weariness Harry could remember from his meetings with Voldemort. "Now then, I'd like the bath before anything else. I feel grossly sticky."

Lucius and Severus looked at each other while Draco grinned at his sister. "And that's why we'll win. People always underestimate you Bella."

Bella nodded, pushing the sheets off her. "Good. Hopefully that will continue." She replied as Hermione, Fleur, Luna and Padma moved towards her, intent on helping her get to the bath she desired.

* * *

"You can see why your family came to me then Bella." Dumbledore said many hours later, after Bella and Draco had been settled into Slytherin and were resting on Bella's bed. They had barely gotten around to asking their Knights what had happened during their recovery when the door to Bella's room had opened and Dumbledore had strolled right in.

Bella felt her head pounding now with all the repressed annoyance she had felt building up since Severus and Lucius had left the room. They were determined to get answers, Severus had even tried Legilimency on her. She'd been shocked and hurt by that unexpected move. She knew they were just worried but they ought to trust her when she said she had it under control, not try to barge into her head.

Now they had brought in Dumbledore and forced everyone, even Draco, out of the room.

"I can see why, but I don't care." Bella muttered, keeping her eyes averted and staring at her bedspread. "I want to be alone with my friends right now."

Dumbledore nodded but made no move to leave. "Bella, you know I have always held your best interest in heart-"

"Stop." Bella said it quietly but with all the necessary force. "Stop. I won't tell you. If I wouldn't tell my father and godfather, why on earth would I tell you?"

"Perhaps you felt the need to protect them, one that you do not need to feel for me." Dumbledore replied. Bella felt her hands twitch. She was getting angry and that never worked out well. She couldn't think well through anger.

"Professor, although you have been good and kind to me, you have always been calculating and enigmatic." Bella replied, not knowing if what she said was even true but her anger lent the words the ring of honesty they needed. "But I don't need you. Yes I want to protect Sev'rus and Father, no I can't exactly explain yet, and no I don't think I need to protect you. I don't think I need to tell you anything either. It is nothing you need worry about. I will solve it on my own."

Dumbledore stared at her for a long moment then sighed heavily. "I wish you would reconsider."

"I will not." Bella replied sharply. "I have begun this game on my own, and made my moves based on what resources I have gained through my own power." Bella at last lifted her mercury eyes to meet Dumbledore's light blue gaze. "Surely a wizard of your own power can understand that. That there are some times when no one can help you unless you wish them to. Times when the game must be played your own way."

Dumbledore looked at her curiously, wonderingly, for a long time after that. Bella didn't look away, knowing she was leaving herself open to his mental probing but knowing he wouldn't do it. For some reason her words were making an impact on the old wizard. For some reason, he was looking understanding in an uncondescending way.

"Yes." He said at last. "I have known such times. Times when I have held all the cards and refused to reveal more than necessary." Dumbledore looked away now. "I can see I have no place in your game Bella. However, I offer you my assistance, should you ever require it."

Bella nodded, slumping aganist her pillows as the old wizard got up and headed for the door. "However, perhaps telling your father and Severus would not cause you any harm."

He left then, leaving Bella to rub at her throbbing forehead.

"Knights!" Bella shouted through the open door, her temper cooling as her friends and brother piled in and shut the door behind them. "Tell me everything. Beginning with why Padma is here."

* * *

Lance Baldur. Bella repeated the name to herself over and over during the next few days. Lance Baldur. Her newest enemy.

From the moment the Knights had spoken that name, Bella had known there was nothing for it but to meet this Lance Baldur face to face. Hopefully they could talk, and Bella could learn about him some before planning a battle strategy against him.

"But we don't have to meet him now." Harry argued with her as they walked along the grounds. Tomorrow would be Saturday, the next Hogsmeade trip, and Bella had been adamant about going. She was only just barely recovered fully and Harry wasn't keen on her ending up back in that hospital wing so soon.

Or worse.

But Bella was Bella and she was determined now, which meant Harry might as well be talking to a stone wall. "Bell!" He huffed in his annoyance as she continued to ignore him. She stopped then, turning to look at him with a pout. "You're not going. I won't let you." He said shortly.

"You won't let me?" Bella replied, eyes flashing.

"No." Harry told her, crossing his arms and stopping in front of her. The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students were heading towards them, but Harry didn't care if they overheard. He didn't give a damn about anything at the moment, aside from the fact that Bella was being stupidly stubborn and careless about her health. "You might just want to talk, but what if that Baldur guy doesn't? What if Parvati panicks and attacks you? You're barely recovered enough as it is! And all that work in the tunnel was for nothing since you're just planning on meeting him head on in the daylight!"

Bella stared at Harry with her hands balled into fists. Then she sagged and leaned into him, shaking a little with emotion.

"Trust me, Baldur and I will just talk... And once we've talked, I'll decide how best to wipe him and Parvati out of the way. That's what the tunnel will be for. For our undetected escape from the castle to face that cretin in battle."

Harry sighed, holding her as close against him as possible. "It doesn't have to be right now." He tried again.

"Yes it does." Bella replied, looking up at him with a grin and steely eyes. "And if I have to have you knocked unconscious in order to go, then so help me I will do it Harry."

That was the honest truth. He could see it in her eyes. She didn't want to, she'd feel like a heel because of it, but she would do it.

That's when Harry finally realized just how strong Bella Malfoy was going to become someday.

Sighing he shook his head. "Then you'll have to order me, like an empress ordering her knight, because as your boyfriend I'm completely against letting you go tomorrow." He told her quietly.

Bella gulped hard, a bit of guilt squeezing at her lungs. However, she took a step back from Harry and made her face fall into the impassive mask of a confident pureblood. "Imperial Knight, you will stop trying to stop me and you will accompany me tomorrow, and behave as a Knight should, and only act if I give you the order to do so."

Harry met her hard eyes then felt a wry smirk tug his lips as he placed a hand on his chest and bowed to her. "Yes, your highness."

"Iz everything alright?" Madame Maxime asked as they finally reached the two young teens. Fleur looked from Harry to Bella, noting the tension in their bodies.

"Everything is fine ma'am." Harry replied, managing a smile before he turned and held out his arm to Bella. "Just fine." He murmured as he led the way inside, his empress at his side.

* * *

"Potter doesn't look happy." Draco said to Bella as they all walked down through the gates, towards the little village of Hogsmeade the following morning.

"I had to order my Imperial Knight to shut up and stop trying to boss me around." Bella replied, casting Harry's back a look. Their Knights were spread out around them, a wall of protection that looked like a cluster of children to the passers by.

Draco let out a low chuckle. "So that explains it. You've had your first real fight."

Bella blinked, looking from her brother to Harry then letting out a small giggle of her own. She hadn't thought of it that way but yes, this really was their first couple's fight. Somehow that cheered her up.

"Padma, where were they going to meet?" Bella asked the girl who walked beside Draco.

"There's a stile at the end of the main road. We've got to go past Dervish and Bangs. That Lance told Parvati to meet him there at around midday." Padma replied. Bella nodded, stopping and pretending to peer at the window of the nearest shop.

"Then we'll go there now," Bella murmured, "and find a place for all you Knights to hide. Padma, maybe you shouldn't show up with us. Parvati could get very angry with you."

Padma shook her head. "I've made my choice, I'll handle the consequences."

With that said they took off again, heading towards the stile Padma had mentioned. The cottages were further apart and there wasn't many places to hide, until they turned on the road and found a stile that was surrounded by wild bushes and clumps of trees. The even gardens abruptly ended and turned into wild wood. Harry was glad for that as they all went off into the wild woods and settled down for the wait.

"We'll wait for the boy to show up." Bella said to her Knights as they all began taking up positions which would let them keep an eye on their empress. "Fleur, Luna, Draco, and I will meet with him. All of you are to remain here, unless I say so. And if things do turn into a fight..." Bella saw Harry give a twitch as a scowl appeared on his face. "Then I want you all to get out of the way. Alert Dumbledore. Understood."

"Erm...no not really." George said then.

"Yeah we were good until the whole 'run off and get Dumbledore' part." Fred added with a scowl of his own.

"None of you are strong enough yet!" Bella let the words burst out on the tide of annoyance and worry she felt welling up inside her at the stubborn looks on her Knights faces. "These are elements we'll be dealing with! Powers far beyond that of normal magic! You cannot stand up against it for long, if at all, with your current magical knowledge." Bella sighed and bowed her head. "Speaking of which, we really need to start getting all of you some extra tutoring. You need to learn more offensive spells, more destructive spells."

"We'll start working on that after tonight." Draco promised her, placing a hand on his sister's back. Bella drew in a deep breath and nodded.

"I'm sorry." She told them, looking up at them and smiling softly. "I've been hoping I could do this on my own, but I can't. I've been neglecting many things, in hopes of sparing you all too much harm and responsibility."

"Which is rather stupid of you." Crabbe popped off then. Bella chuckled at his blunt words and nodded. "We want to be used to our full potentials Bella. So stop treating us like kids playing a game."

Bella looked at each of her Knights before giving a single, firm nod. "I will. After this meeting with Baldur and Parvati. Just please, promise me you'll do what I asked, just in case."

The Knights all bowed then and Bella felt herself relax.

They waited for about half an hour more when at last they heard voices coming towards them.

"...I didn't tell her everything Lance." Parvati's voice drifted over them. Bella tensed, preparing to walk out once they'd appeared. She felt a hand on her shoulder then and jumped, turning to look up into Harry's emerald gaze. He was frowning but he squeezed her shoulder and kept his hand there as the voices drew closer.

"But she knows there is something going on." A soft accented voice said. Bella tensed up more, her hands bunched in her robes to prevent her from pulling out her wand.

"Well yes, she read the letter." Parvati replied. "She's my twin Lance. Padma would never betray me. Besides, who would she betray me to?"

"Ah Parvati, once again you dash my perception on your intelligence." The other said making Parvati let out an indignant huff. The other person laughed and the laughter echoed around them all as they turned the corner and approached the stile at last.

The boy with Parvati was about Krum's age, with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He had a fair complexion and was dressed in rather expensive looking robes. He was handsome too, far more handsome than Bella had been expecting. He looked like Prince Charming in his sky-blue robes edged with gold.

He was truly Light in every possible way.

Bella strode forward then, feeling Draco, Lun and Fleur following her as she took a deep breath and spoke up. "You really shouldn't be so cruel to her." Bella said as she stepped beyond the protection of the trees and stopped a few feet from the two surprised teenagers in front of her. "Not if you've been witholding your knowledge from her."

Parvati looked shocked and outraged while the boy studied the four before him with a bright smile. Bella shuddered a little. That smile was bright and welcoming, but there was absolutely nothing good in it as far as she could tell. She trusted the light of the sun more than this young man.

"Ah, we seem to have company after all Parvati." The blonde chuckled as he continued studying them. "I am honored to have such a welcoming party."

Bella forced herself to relax, placing a hand on her hip while the other waved about lazily. "Oh I wouldn't call us a welcoming party just yet, Lance Baldur."

Lance Bladur grinned then, eyes twinkling as he focused his attention on Bella only. "You know my name but I am afraid I do not know yours."

"And you don't need to know it." Bella replied. "All you need to know is that I am Earth."

Lance's smiled grew bigger, if possible and he seemed utterly delighted. "Earth. Ah yes, I can see it now." And his hand rose, tracing wavy line in the air. "Your aura, it surrounds you in a wall of power."

Bella studied him now, looking past the brightness of this boy and seeing his own powerful aura, which surrounded him like beams of sunlight, and pulsed in time with some unknown rhythm.

"So if you are Earth, then that must mean your friends are gifted as well." Lance continued, turning to look closer at Fleur, Luna, and Draco. "I see Wind." He said, pointing at Luna who gave a small curtsy. "And Fire." He tipped his head in Fleur's direction. "And this is a power I do not know." He admitted as he eyed Draco. Bella couldn't help the proud smirk that came to her lips.

"My brother can twist space. He can do many things which even I marvel at." Bella replied. "Darkness is here too, though where he might be at the moment is anyone's guess."

Lance's beaming face suddenly clouded over. "Darkness is here." He hissed the words out. "Where exactly here?"

Bella waved a hand towards Hogwarts. "I've been wanting to meet you for many months now."

Lance's face regained it's warmth. "And I have been wishing to meet you as well Earth." Lance took a step forward then. "There is much we must discuss."

"What?" Parvati asked, gaping at Lance and glaring at Bella. "You want to talk to her?"

Lance nodded, reaching back to brush a hand over Parvati's cheek. "Now don't be jealous. It doesn't suit you." Turning back to Bella, Lance smiled and winked.

Bella rolled her eyes, wondering what was going through Harry's mind at the moment. Shaking that thought away she smirked at Lance. "It has begun again. Did you tell her that?" She asked him.

The blonde shook his head. "I omitted a few facts. Otherwise, how could I get her to understand the importance of it all?" Lance asked, smirking as Parvati grabbed ahold of his arm and glared at Bella more.

"Does she even know what she is?" Bella wondered then.

"Oh she knows about her element. She just doesn't know the extent of it." Lance purred as Parvati beamed at him. Bella snorted then.

"The extent...and the limit." She said then, seeing Lance's smile twitch into a mischievous grin.

"I did neglect to mention the limit, but only for her own good." Lance smirked at Parvati. "She would have become discouraged if she knew about the limit on her power."

Parvati was looking murderous at the moment. Lance's words gave Bella a sudden thought though. "Do you know why our elemental power is limited?" She asked him and Lance blinked then grinned once more.

"Yes I do." Lance said as he watched Parvati release his arm and stomp a few steps away. "It is borrowed power in essence, wouldn't you agree?" He explained. Bella thought about it then slowly nodded. That would make sense. It made plenty of sense truthfully. Borrowed power, an element that should not be ruled by any mortal being, that kind of power would wane eventually. It might be replenished, and it might work for her for the rest of her life, but only to a certain extent.

"I admit I never thought of it like that." Bella murmured, running a hand through her hair. Lance took another step forward, a kind smile on his face.

"I didn't either, not for the longest time. But lately I've been having more epiphanies about my powers than ever before." Lance's smile turned cold again. "Perhaps because of the clash we are headed towards."

Bella nodded, about to ask something else when Lance cut her off by saying, "You agree there will be a battle, and much destruction in our near futures?"

"I dream of it." Bella admitted then. "All the time." She added, recalling her last vivid nightmare of seeing her friends strewn across the ground, lifeless and wasted.

"But must it be like that?" Lance asked then, taking another step forward. A few more and he'd be right in front of Bella. "Must we fight each other? Why not unite? Why not focus our powers on that which is pushing us towards this devastation?"

"What would that be?" Bella wondered if his answer would be the same as hers.

Lance gave her a serious look then, eyes wide with honest conviction. "Darkness." Lance said and looked at the others before returning his attention to Bella. "You must agree, it is Darkness that tries to poison us against each other."

Bella felt herself smirk. She'd thought he'd say that, blame it all on Darkness, as was the Light's usual MO. However, this time it was the truth. She had distrusted Krum for a while now, and her dreams were filled with images of him casting Killing curses to images of thick, black tentacles of darkness strangling the life out of her friends.

"Yes, Darkness." Bella murmured and her smirk turned into a considering frown. "Darkness is powerful though. Once he feels us surrounding him, he will lash out."

Lance nodded, looking at her steadily. She felt like fidgetting, like turning away from the open gaze but held herself still.

"My lady." Blaise's voice startled them all and Bella had to mentally sigh as her Knights filed out of the woods. Lance got a grin on his face as they all surrounded the elemental weilders.

"What is it Advisor?" Bella asked, turning to Blaise with a half-annoyed look. Blaise just grinned in return.

"It seems as though you are sacrificing the Knight." Blaise replied and Bella stilled for a moment. "Are we?" He asked when Bella didn't reply. She was thinking. Thinking back to what she'd said shortly after the Second Task.

_I will turn on him when he least expects it. _

"What would happen," Bella directed her words at Lance, "if we joined up against Darkness? How could we stop him?"

Lance got a playful smile on his lips but his eyes were as cruel as a predators. "Did you know that if we all untied against Darkness, we could bind his element, so that he may not use it any longer?"

"I didn't."

The blonde smiled as suddenly the light around them intensified so that they all had to squint or put their hands up. Bella felt someone come up behind her and cover her eyes with an arm. The light died down and Lance was chuckling. Bella pulled the arm down and looked up to find Harry behind her, grimacing at Lance. Lance was holding a chain that looked to be made out of lightning. It crackled and hissed as he easily twisted and swung it in his hand.

"This would bind any of your powers, so long as all the other elements were joined against you of course." Lance said and swung it a little too close for Harry's comfort apparently because he moved to stand between Bella and Lance. Lance looked at Harry then and his eyes went round with honest surprise as he caught sight of Harry's scar.

"Well this is an unexpected surprise." Lance murmured as the chain vanished from view and he continued to stare at Harry with a sort of hungry fascination. Bella didn't like that look. It didn't bode well at all. "Harry Potter..."

Harry nodded then half-turned to look at Bella. "Are you just about done yet?" He asked, his voice a mesh between just Harry and her Knight. She felt a smile come to her face then.

"Almost Harry, just give me another minute." She told him, touching his arm and pushing gently. He stood at her side now, letting her be fully in Lance's view again. "What do you have to gain from subduing Darkness?" She asked Lance then. The blonde smiled kindly.

"It will mean a blow to the true evil, the own that is stirring and plotting even as we speak." Lance replied. Bella shut her eyes and nodded.

"Then, that really leaves me no choice does it?" She asked as she nodded to Lance who grinned once more. "We should meet and discuss this further some other day. I really need to rest now. It has been a long week."

"Where should we meet?" Lance asked as Bella began to turn away.

"Let's meet back here in a week. It will give me enough time to think things over properly." Bella replied as she looked away.

The Empire left then, many of the Knights eyeing Lance distrustfully. Padma cast her twin one long, burning look before following the others.

"So are we sacrificing the Knight?" Blaise asked once more. Bella had to smile at the eagerness in Blaise's words. _He must really hate Krum... _

"Yes. It is time to rid ourselves of one obstacle." Bella said at last. "Not exactly what I was planning to be honest." She added as they stepped into the Three Broomsticks. "But hell if I won't use it to my advantage."

* * *

_**And here is the next chappy. Not bad eh? Eh? ^^. **_


	37. The Empress's Plan

**My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot, which I hope is good. **

* * *

**Part Four**

_**Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Empress's Plan**_

Bella sighed as she slammed her history book shut. "That smug bastard." She huffed as her friends looked up at her. They were sitting under a tall beech tree by the lake. True the weather was still horrid but Bella had exclaimed she couldn't stand another minute inside the castle.

Her friends couldn't blame her for her it. They would be meeting with Lance Baldur again that very night and they were all on edge. The edge was slightly taken off by the fact that over the week they'd been working on Disillusionment Charms and they were good enough, if not great.

"Huh?" Crabbe asked, looking up from the rock he'd been making disappear and reappear in his hand. "What smug bastard?"

"That Baldur jerk." Bella replied. "I asked Father too look into his family but there's virtually nothing on him! Nothing! Not even Father's contacts at the Ministry could dig up much on him. It's like he didn't exist until five years ago or something." Bella sighed and tugged at her hair. "How can I turn the tide in my favor if I don't even know who I'm going up against?"

Harry rubbed her back a little and she leaned into him immediately. They'd made up already, neither liking the tension between them, and now Harry was just trying his best to keep Bella from having a meltdown before the big meeting. He couldn't wait for March to be over. Somehow, he just felt things would be easier to deal with if they could get on into April.

"Bella." Krum's voice startled them all and they looked up at the surly looking Bulgarian as he stood a few feet away from them. "May I speak vith you in private?"

Bella nodded and got up, sighing and dusting herself off before following him a few feet away from her fellow fourth years. "I feel a disturbance close by." Krum said to her. Bella nodded, running a hand through her hair. She felt the disturbance too, she knew what it was though. "Some great power has come."

"I know, and I'm planning on dealing with it tonight." Bella told him, looking off in the direction of Hogsmeade. "Are the shadows telling you anything?" She asked him then and Krum looked a little taken aback before recovering himself. Bella filed that away for later.

"Nothing I have not already mentioned." Krum replied, his dark eyes flickering over to the group of teenagers. "May I ask something?"

"Sure."

"Vat is going on between Zabini and Hermione?" Krum asked then. Bella let a little innocent smile come to her lips then.

"Well...if I'm reading it right, I think Blaise has a crush on Hermione." Bella whispered. "Don't worry though, I haven't said nothing to Hermione yet, and Blaise is too busy thinking to try anything...yet." She winked and giggled before becoming serious again. "Is there anything else you wanted Viktor?"

Krum shook his head. "I vill see you at dinner." And he strode away. Bella watched him leave before turning back to her friends.

"So what's up?" Draco asked his sister and Bella frowned a little.

"He's sensing what I've been sensing all week." Bella replied.

"Water and Light, together." Luna's voice startled them once more. She smiled serenly, sitting down beside Neville and tipping her head to the side. "Parvati is working on her powers, Lance is preparing his chains." Luna told them as she listened to the wind. "Be careful tonight Empress." Luna said, opening her eyes to look at Bella sternly. Bella couldn't remember a time when she'd ever seen Luna looking so serious. "He wishes to enslave you, and use you."

Bella nodded, taking the warning to heart. It was because he was Light. Light felt everything was its playthings, just like Darkness did.

What both elements seemed to forget was that Earth thrived in darkness as well as in light.

_We'll see who ends up being whose pawn._

The thought made Bella gasp. Her mind seemed to have gotten a kick start and was now racing. With a snicker she grinned up at the sky, ignoring her friends' questioning looks for the minute.

"Empress?" Goyle asked tentatively, taken aback by Bella's sudden mood change.

With another snicker Bella stood up. "It's nothing Greg. I just had a thought."

* * *

"How did you get out of the castle?" Padma couldn't help asking when she saw her sister sitting on a boulder, with Lance standing next to her.

Parvati smirked and looked over at Lance who was smiling serenely. Bella hated how sincere he looked. It made it harder to read him.

"I have been teaching her spells to help her escape notice." Lance replied with a smile.

"He's a very good teacher." Parvati praised with a giggle. Bella sighed and settled down onto a bench, her eyes shutting. "Darkness has noticed you." She told Lance who stiffened for a second then chuckled good naturedly.

"Is that so?"

"I told him I would be dealing with you tonight." Bella added, not opening her eyes. She was focusing on using her ties to earth to find better ways of sensing people. She couldnt' rely on her eyes when it came to Lance. He was a great actor. Instead she'd listen with her other senses.

Lance chuckled then. "I see, I see. How amusing. Darkness thinking Earth would betray Light."

Bella allowed a little smirk to play on her lips. "Yes, terribly amusing. But we must be wary. Darkness is all around us, who is to say he is not listening to us as we speak?"

"Darkness cannot hear Light." Lance sounded so sure that Bella just had to open her eyes. He looked very assured on that fact. "It has always been so, it will always be so."

"Huh...so, as long as we're near you, he can't hear us either?" Luna asked. Lance nodded.

"Precisely. That is another reason Darkness is often left on his own." Lance looked a little too happy about that. Bella shut her eyes again, crossing her arms.

"We need him out of the way." Bella murmured mostly to herself. "We need Darkness bound. The sooner the better. He is becoming suspicious and has already attacked Fire."

Bella felt a pulse of anger then, traveling through the earth at her feet. She smirked, but hid it by bringing her hand to her lips in a thoughtful way. "He is growing stronger. The shadows whisper to him. Are whispering to him. He will be more wary, more prone to attacking, to using his element against us."

Another pulse of emotion then, a darker one than anger. Bella shuddered a little, opening her eyes to see Lance's face was set in a frown.

"He is growing reckless and will throw the balance into chaos." Lance replied. Bella nodded. "Then the sooner we subdue Darkness, the better for all." Lance turned to Bella then, eyes flashing with anticipation. Bella could feel it in the space between them. He was looking forward to the fight. "When should we strike then?"

Bella wondered for a minute. When would it be best to turn on Krum?

"We need to form a plan. We can't just go up and attack him. Or rather we could, but then that might lead to some serious repercussions." Bella frowned. "A place were we would not easily attract attention-" Bella stopped speaking abruptly.

"Bell?" Harry asked as the seconds passed and Bella continued to stare off into the trees. "Bell?" He shook her shoulder, bringing her out of whatever place she'd been wandering.

"I got it." She said simply, her eyes still round. "I know where to lure him to!" Bella jumped up and punched the air. "Of course, we're going to need your help Harry."

"My help?" Harry wondered as he blinked at his girlfriend.

Bella nodded twice. "Yes your help. Last time I checked, you're the only Parseltongue I know."

Harry frowned, wondering what on earth that had to do with attacking Krum when it suddenly clicked.

"The Chamber of Secrets."

Bella nodded. "I'd suggest we just tunnel there but-"

"No!" The Knights and her brother chorused. Bella giggled softly.

"But I don't think anyone would let me." Bella finished, turning to Lance and Parvati. "Inside the castle there is a secret entrance to a place known as the Chamber of Secrets. Harry defeated a basilisk down there two years ago."

Harry rolled his eyes. "And Bella helped of course." he added, knowing the girl wouldn't say a word about her involvement. Sure enough she sent him an exasperated look.

"Okay so I helped a little." She muttered. "My point is, its a perfect place for a fight. Deep under the school, so long as we could all sneak into the lavatory-"

"Lavatory?" A few people asked. Bella nodded.

"That's where the entrance is." Harry explained. "In Moaning Myrtle's lavatory."

"Gross!" Parvati squealed. Bella refrained from making the earth open up and swallow her then. How she and Padma could be twins would forever be a mystery to Bella.

"What do you say?" Bella asked Lance. The blonde boy was staring over her shoulder, his blue eyes narrowed slightly.

"Set the date, and I will be there." Lance said at last.

Bella nodded. "I'll send you an owl." She said as she turned and began heading towards the Shrieking Shack. Lance and Parvati watched her go, both wearing thoughtful looks.

It wasn't until they were safely underground that Bella spoke.

"I need to talk to Krum."

"Eh!" Came the confused reply from her friends.

Bella turned to look at them in the middle of her tunnel, her eyes bright even in the dim wandlight her Knights pointed at her.

"Operation Three Birds with One Stone!" Bella declared, her voice echoing up and down the tunnel.

Draco and Harry exchanged suspicious looks. They had a bad feeling about this.

"What're you talking about?" Blaise asked then, sounding a little pissed off.

Bella looked at each of her Knights, then looked down at her hands. "When we were outside earlier today. I had this thought, about seeing who would be whose pawn in the end." Bella let a rare, evil smile spread on her face. Harry's breath caught as he watched her sweet face melt into a wicked expression. He'd never seen her standing so tall or wearing such a smile before. It was was odd and oddly it made her look even prettier.

"I just thought it because I was thinking about how both Dark and Light think they can win me over. But then my mind made me realize I didn't have to play the part I thought I did. I am the black queen, but that doesn't mean I have to immediately advance. I can manipulate my Knight, as well as the White King and his pawn." Bella laughed then, the sound making her Knights shudder. Her power seeped out a little and they all breathed in the smell of freshly plowed earth along with a sort of citrusy zing they couldn't name.

"Do you remember Harry, when we were in the Chamber two years ago? I don't think I ever told you, but I suddenly knew where the basilisk was. Even with my eyes closed. Just suddenly, I could feel it." Bella said, her glittering eyes meeting Harry's and holding him still. "I wondered why. I thought it had to do with what Draco had discovered earlier in the year. My power of purpose." Bella smiled more normally then. "I didn't think too much about it afterwards, I'll admit. Then for most of the next year I was focused on Father and I forgot all about my own powers until later."

"But I just had a thought. My power of purpose, it has to be tied into my elemental power." Bella seemed to be speaking more to herself now. "A power so great, every female in the Malfoy line has inherited it. It has manifested in so many ways. Mine became a part of my own special power, this affinity with earth."

Bella looked back up at her Knights then, eyes flashing. "It just suddenly came to me today, an epiphany. I couldn't believe I'd never thought of it before." Smirking she gave a firm nod to her Knights. "I'm sure that, if I can just focus my power, if I can depend on my Knights, on Fleur, Luna and Draco, then I can use Baldur's power to bind Krum, then turn his powers on Parvati and himself."

"Really?" Blaise asked then, breaking into Bella's monologue. Bella nodded.

"We need to prepare though. I'll need to really think this all through." Bella told them all.

"Why the Chamber though?" Harry asked her, walking up to take her hand. He was grinning. He couldn't help it, seeing Bella so assured made him smile.

"Because, it really is the best place for us to all be in." Bella replied with a wink. "A place only my Imperial Knight can open...I think that makes it perfect enough. You're my secret weapon Harry."

Harry smiled and rolled his eyes. "One more question... This is going to drain you of a lot of magic isn't it?"

"Probably."

Harry scowled at the wall of the tunnel then. "Then...we'll have to start practicing new spells." He said quietly. "Blaise, Hermione!"

"What is it Harry?" Hermione wondered, surprised by the sharpness in Harry's voice.

"We need to start looking up all the spells and hexes and curses we can." Harry told them. "Anything we could use to help Bell. We need to get stronger if we're going to be of any use."

Blaise and Hermione both grinned then. "We're on it." Blaise told him.

Harry turned to Bella then, seeing her staring off, her eyes flickering in dozens of directions while her mind no doubt raced.

But he had plenty of faith in her. She'd figure out what to do. In the meanwhile, he'd help Hermione and Blaise look up spells and begin learning them.

He'd been slacking off on his duty as a Knight. He needed to get stronger and fast. Bella was counting on him.

* * *

A week passed. Then another. Bella was seen working hard by everyone, her teachers and her Knights. Every night she'd finish her homework then disappear off the library, usually with Harry's cloak in her hands. She'd return to the common room late at night, and rise early to try and get some more work done.

Even though they knew what Bella was looking up, her Knights had no idea of the details. Bella just promised them all she was working out all the details, and that when the time came she'd tell them exactly what was going on.

In the meanwhile, Blaise, Harry and Hermione had compiled a list of spells they had all found in various books on self-defense in the library. Most of the list were full of spells for fifth, sixth and seventh years but they were confident they could handle them. Harry knew he would be able to, considering he had managed to learn the Patronus Charm.

It wasn't until the the last week of April that Bella motioned for Harry to follow her at lunchtime. Harry began to call out but she gave a wild shake of her head. Harry let a group of third-year Ravenclaws separate him from their friends before turning and following Bella.

"Hello you two." Myrtle greeted them as Bella and Harry entered her bathroom. "What brings you both in here?"

"Myrtle." Bella's voice was friendly but her eyes were cold. "We need you to get out."

"Huh?" Myrtle asked. Bella sighed then brought her wand down in a slashing motion that had Myrtle flying through the air and into a toilet. Another flick of her wand and the toilet flushed, dragging Myrtle down the pipes.

Harry watched Bella for a moment in shock. When she met his eyes though, he gave a little smile. He turned to the faucet and spoke the short command. _"Open." _

The bathroom rumbled slightly and soon the entrance was opened up. Harry and Bella jumped down, slipping and sliding down the tube as they had done two years ago. They landed on the ground a few minutes later, standing up and wrinkling their noses at the stench of something decayed. Taking a couple of deep breaths to accustom themselves to it, they then grabbed each others hands and began walking through the bones that littered the ground. They walked in silence, each caught up in their own memories as they reached the place of the ceiling collapse and stared at the hole Harry had made in the rocks after their fight with Voldemort.

They needed to make it a little bigger -who would have thought they would have grown so much in two years- then they went through that too. Soon enough they found themselves walking up through the statues and pillars of snakes that led to the main Chamber.

Both teens let their eyes wander around the Chamber, remembering what had gone on down there, eyes flickering to the corners and the stautes. Then finally they came to rest on the spot where Ginny had lain, where Riddle had stood gloatingly. And at last on the remains of the great beast that had terrorized them all second year, Petrified Hermione, nearly killed them.

The snake was dried up, bits of skin and meat still clung to the bones. Obviously two years hadn't been enough for the rats and other pests to completely rid the skeleton of its outer layers.

"Harry." Bella's voice was soft. "Harry, I lied."

"About what?" Harry asked as he looked away from the snake to peer at Bella's face. She was still staring at the serpent, her hands grasping fistfuls of her school robes.

Sighing, the girl turned to him and smiled a little wickedly. "About why I want to use this place. I couldn't tell everyone the truth, I needed them all to believe the lies. But just in case my plan doesn't go off without a hitch, I wanted you to know the absolute truth."

Harry picked a dry spot and settled down, looking up at Bella with an attentive nod. Bella looked at him then began pacing a bit in front of him. Harry didn't press her. She'd speak when she was good and ready.

"Here's the real plan Harry." Bella said at last. "I will be using my powers, like I said. I'll be focusing every bit of magic in me on getting rid of our enemies. I don't think I'll be able to bind Baldur though, which is what troubles me." Bella paused and then turned to Harry. "I'm going to try possessing Baldur."

"How?"

"There's a spell..." Bella replied then stopped. A guilty look crossed her face.

"A Dark spell?" Harry asked in a whisper. Bella nodded quickly. "Bell, you shouldn't." Harry said sternly.

Bella was about to argue when she caught the wording. "Don't you mean can't?" She asked a little confused.

Harry shook his head. "I mean shouldn't. You shouldn't be using Dark magic." Harry looked over at the snake then. "But..."

Bella had to admit she was beyond surprised now. Harry didn't look angry or disgusted, like she'd thought he would. He just looked a little worried.

"But...ever since this year started, since that night in the woods at the Quidditch cup..." Harry got to his feet then, walking over to kick the crumbling snake skin. "Whether its considered good or bad doesn't really matter does it? Not anymore. I mean, well, for example, I always thought Light was supposed to be good." Harry met Bella's eyes then. "Baldur isn't good though, is he? Neither is Krum and neither is Parvati, which is really surprising. But I have been thinking about it a lot Bell. A whole lot. It's magic either way. Whether people use it for good or bad, its still magic, right?"

Bella let out a little laugh then and nodded. "Yeah. It's still magic."

"Then, so long as you don't kill anyone, I don't think its a bad thing." Harry replied with a shrug. "You're not going to have to kill anyone right?" He asked then with a cheeky wink. Bella rolled her eyes.

"No." She replied shortly, crossing her arms and huffing. Harry laughed and she relaxed her offended stance. "But I do need to use the bones of something dead." She said then, turning to eye the basilisk skeleton. "It's fairly simple. I just need to create a circle with these bones, and get Baldur to step inside that circle. I speak a little spell and then I can control him like a puppet for up to fifteen minutes. He'll start trying to fight me off then. I'll have control of him until I break the spell, but since I figure he's got a fighting spirit, it will be hard to maintain it for longer than three hours." Bella walked over then, picking up a fang. "I was thinking though, it would be rather obvious I was up to something if there was a circle of bones just laying around."

"That's what I've spent most of this month trying to figure out. How to hide the circle, but make the spell just as effective. I've been experimenting in the tunnel. I've had Dobby and Beezle working on bringing me the bones of dead birds and such." Bella tapped her wand against her face then and Harry gasped at the sight of a huge purplish mark on half her face. "Looks bad huh? I got this a few days ago, but don't worry, it won't happen again."

Harry gave her a glare then. "Don't worry she says." he muttered as she tapped her wand against her face and a glamour hid the bruise. "You say it won't happen again. Does that mean you figrued out how to make your spell work?"

Bella nodded, a proud gleam in her eyes. "Uh-huh. If I use string made from unicorn hair, which I had Zuffy make, and tie it up with the bones of the basilisk, I can make the circle as large as I want, and hide it. The reason I need the basilisk bones is because the basilisk is a powerful creature, thus making it a more powerful spell than if I used dead bird bones."

"I can have everything set up by the end of the week." Bella told him as she smirked at the ceiling. "I'll use Baldur to end the threats Parvati and Krum pose. Once their elemental powers are sealed, I can focus on getting rid of Baldur." Bella turned to Harry with an innocent smile. "It'll be easy as pie."

"You're slightly terrifying, you know that Bell?" Harry teased then, moving closer so that he could pull Bella into his embrace. He dropped his head on her shoulder and sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry Harry." Bella murmured then. She pulled back and Harry was shocked to see tears in her eyes. "I've done nothing but make your life more complicated than it already was, huh?"

Harry shook his head. "That's not true. I don't think I'd like my life as much if you weren't in it."

"But I'm doing dangerous things and dragging you into all my problems." She muttered then.

Harry laughed softly. "If you think about it, it's only fair." Harry grinned when she looked up at him. Her face was wet but she looked completely mystified. "Well if you look at it, this is kind of a way for us to even everything out. Because of me you faced Voldemort twice and a horde of Dementors. If you think about it, this is sort of like life's way of balancing that out, right?"

Bella swallowed the clog in her throat and let out a laugh that bubbled out of nowhere. "You think of the weirdest things sometimes Harry Potter."

"You're a little weird yourself Bella Malfoy." Harry replied, petting her hair and holding her close again.

"Hmm...yeah I am. That's probably why we get along so well, huh?" She asked him. Harry nodded, still petting her hair softly.

"To be honest..." Harry's voice was serious as he continued to hold Bella. "I don't think I could get on without you around. Not anymore. Maybe if we hadn't gotten so close..." Harry looked down to find Bella staring at him pensively. "I just got that feeling."

"I think the same thing." Bella murmured, laying her head against his chest. "Maybe if but we are and I wouldn't want to change that."

"Me either." Harry replied.

They stood there for a long time, just quietly thinking to themselves. Harry pulled away first, looking into Bella's mercury eyes and grinning. "So, what do you need me to do, my Empress?" He asked with a bow. Bella grinned.

"Help me pick the skeleton apart." She replied, taking off her school robes and pushing up the sleeves of her shirt. "Then we'll tie them all up. I'll teach you the charm to make it hang up in the air. It needs to be a circle, not an oval..."

* * *

**_End chappy. Gomen for my lateness. ^^. Next chapter, the clash of the elements! _**


	38. Chains

**My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot, which I hope is good. **

* * *

**Part Four**

_**Chapter Thirty-Eight: Chains**_

_At midnight, journey to the second floor, to the girl's lavatory that is inhabited by Moaning Myrtle, a ghost girl. We will set out from there. _

Bella read and re-read the short note before copying it, folding them up, sealing them, and scrawling Lance Bladur on one then Viktor Krum on the other. She turned to Zephyr then, petting him for a moment before kissing him and tying the letters to his leg.

"Hurry Zephyr. Then hide yourself in the Owlery okay?" She instructed. The owl hooted and nipped her hair before disappearing from her room, up through the stone shaft which would lead him outside.

Once that was done, Bella leaned back in her seat. She was shaking, she noted. She was nervous. Beyond nervous. She was nearly sick with the nerves.

Tonight was the night. Tonight she would get rid of at least Krum and Parvati. Even if it killed her.

Which, granted what she'd learned about Baldur, might just end up doing that.

"I'm coming in." Called Hermione as she opened the door and motioned for Padma and Luna to enter Bella's room. Bella smiled as she saw the boys out in the common room. Hermione shut the door once the other girls were inside and leaned against it, eyeing Bella who immediately sat up straighter, doing her best to hide her condition.

"So it's tonight." Hermione murmured. Bella nodded, looking over at her friends.

"Will it all really work out?" Padma asked as she took a seat on Bella's armchair.

"The wind is certain." Luna replied before Bella could offer any words of encouragement. "We will have a victory for certain."

Bella smiled as the words seemed to bolster the two other girls with confidence. Luna smiled at Bella then. "Our empress will make certain of that." Luna added making Bella blush a little.

"It feels weird." Hermione spoke up. "I'm both terrified and looking forward to this." She stated, looking embarrassed.

Padma giggled. "Really? Me too." She and Hermione shared a look before grinning at each other.

Bella relaxed as she listened to them chatter. She found it hilarious actually, that those two were eager for the battle to begin.

"Just remember the plan you two." She said sternly, catching their attention. "You and the other Knights are to keep Krum and Parvati busy. Use all the spells you can think of. You have to distract them while I focus on Baldur. That's all you have to do." She met Hermione and Padma's eyes then. "If things get out of hand, you're to back off, got it?"

The two girls frowned for a moment before nodding stiffly. Bella knew they wouldn't. She knew they were just agreeing to shut her up. Sighing, she allowed a smirk to come to her face. "Stubborn." She muttered at them.

"Look who's talking." Padma replied with a laugh.

The girls were silent for a moment until Padma got up from her perch and walked over to Bella's vanity table. She picked up a brush and smirked. "If we're going into battle, then let's at least look pretty. You know that Delacour is going to be a knockout." She stated, pulling Luna down into the chair and beginning to untangle her wild mane. Hermione and Bella watched her for a second before breaking into smiles and rising from their places as well.

"I do have this new dress Father sent me..." Bella murmured while moving to her closet.

* * *

After dinnertime Fleur met Bella in the entrance hall. Bella smiled when she saw that her French friend did indeed look more done up than usual. Her pretty silvery hair was in soft ringlets and she wore a pretty strapless blue dress with low silvery heels.

"We will utterly destroy zem!" Fleur promised as they entered the bathroom. Bella giggled.

"We'll try our best." She replied. Myrtle wasn't around. The ghost girl was probably sulking somewhere. In any case it worked in their favor.

The two girls took seats on a dry patch of the floor and waited for the rest of the Empire to appear.

"It will be dangerous." Fleur murmured.

"Yes." Bella said with a frown. "We may not be aiming to kill, but considering what Krum's done, and how disgustingly Light Baldur is, who knows?"

Fleur gave a throaty chuckle. "Zere is something wrong with ze Light?"

Bella nodded. "Light and Darkness...they rule because they are strong. Light and Dark sway the hearts of everyone. Even mine. But now, for some reason, maybe because I've seen how they both affect a person in general, I'm beginning to think neither is very good. You have to have balance, have a little bit of each, or else you tip too much one way. That is why Dark Wizards are created. They have too much Dark in them. Likewise, people like Dumbledore are created when they immerse themselves too much in Light. When that happenes, their minds become shut. They close their eyes against anything that they don't agree with...and either try to stop it or destroy it."

Fleur looked in surprise at the fourteen year old beside her. She'd never thought of it like that. To be honest...if it never touched her own personal world, she didn't think much of anything.

"Krum might try to stop us." Bella continued. "I fear Bladur will want to destroy us."

Her Empress's speech left Fleur much to think about as slowly, over the next three hours the rest of the Empire appeared.

Krum appeared seemingly out of nowhere close to midnight. Shadows melted away from his skin and attached to the walls, making the bathroom seem darker than usual. With his appearance, the rest of them all waited for Bladur and Parvati.

"Harry," Bella called as the midnight hour was sounded throughout the castle, "open it."

Harry turned to the spotted basin and spoke the harsh sounding word. _"Open." _The sinks rumbled and sank down into the floor, the grates pulled away, leaving the gaping maw from which Slytherin's beast once appeared.

"This is vere ve vill fight?" Krum wondered, peering into the hole. Bella nodded, her eyes on the door of the bathroom.

They didn't have to wait long after that. Ten minutes later the door was pushed open by Parvati and Baldur. Krum snarled as he caught sight of Baldur and Bladur too sneered.

Bella watched as the shadows seemed to tremble on the walls while the moonlight coming in through the windows seemed to strengthen. A clash of titans, she would have described it as.

But there was no time for poetic imagery. She had something to do. She looked over at Goyle, who was standing closest to Krum, and gave a single nod. Goyle whipped around with speed that seemed to surprise everyone and kicked Krum hard in the knee. The unexpected blow made the Bulgarian stagger. Goyle grabbed his shoulder then and pushed Krum with all his might.

Krum fell right into the tunnel. Bella turned to her Knights. "Move." She ordered and they followed Krum down the tunnel.

"Ew, we have to go down there?" Parvati said as she peered over the edge of the tunnel. Bella smirked as she pushed the girl in, not caring if she got hurt.

That left her and Baldur alone. Baldur was studying her closely, a smile on his lips. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "It will be a pleasure to have you on my side." He said. Bella pulled away and settled herself on the rim of the tunnel.

"On your side I may be, but that's the only pleasure you'll have out of me." She replied with another smirk as she launched herself into the darkness.

When she reached the bottom, it was to find Krum trying to smother blue-white flames with his shadows. "You know where to go!" Bella shouted over the surprisingly loud crackling and hissing of the flames and shadows.

Her Knights nodded and Luna whipped up a wind that made the flames rise higher. Draco was using his power to push the shadows away into different directions from where Krum directed them. Bella made sure that the roof didn't collapse over their heads while the rest of her Knights attacked Krum with the spells they'd been learning.

It was slow going. Krum's element was formidable. But Bella knew they'd win if they could just keep at it. Slowly they pushed him back step by step. When they reached the hole Bella focused on keeping the roof up as she blasted the rest of the rocks out of the way.

They were in the chamber then and Bella was able to drop her control. The exit was sealed once again by a wall of rocks. That didn't worry her. It made her grin in fact.

"Baldur, Parvati!" She yelled over the din of spells and elements clashing. "Get on over there!" Bella shouted and pointed to the place between the feet of Slytherin's statue. "And start doing something you lazy arses!" She added as Parvati flat-out ran towards the statue. "Baldur! Get your girlfriend to help too!" Bella demanded when a spell narrowly missed her green-streaked hair.

Baldur nodded as he hurried to join Parvati. The girl was watching the fighting with terror on her face. Bella shook her head, rolling her eyes skyward for a moment before focusing on the stones in the ground. She began raising them near Krum's feet, wanting him to trip so that he could lose his concentration for a bit. Darkness was a lot stronger than Bella knew.

She knew the reason Krum wasn't attacking them directly however was due to that spell-collar Bella had chained him in. That was the only reason they were making any headway at all.

A sudden push sent her sprawling on the wet floor just as a red beam whizzed through the air where she'd been. As she looked around for who had saved her, Padma appeared and helped her to her feet.

"Put up a shield if you're going to be spacing off!" Padma scolded before jumping back into the crowd of Knights. Bella felt herself blush. She'd forgotten to put up a shield. She did that quickly then hurried over to where Baldur was fashioning a very long, very bright chain. Parvati was still too frozen to do much of anything to help.

"Ugh! She's utterly useless!" Bella said to the Light while he continued to fashion his weapon.

"Hmm. True." Baldur replied, smiling pleasantly when Parvati sent him an affronted look. "She was doing so well during our practice sessions. I'm rather disappointed."

Parvati's eyes shined with rage. She glared at Baldur then at Bella. With a wild cry she turned away from them and began making the water from the large puddles on the floor rise up and solidify somewhat into a heavy mass. She swung her arm as if she were punching someone and the watery mass crashed down on Krum, pushing him right down to the ground.

"Impressive." Bella had to admit, watching the mass become several whips that slapped at the shadows, dissolving them sometimes. She could see why Water was capable of wiping them all off the face of the earth. "Nearly done?" She asked turning back to Baldur. He nodded, smiling as he held up the end of a glimmering, beautiful length of shining light. Bella almost wanted to touch it. She stepped away though, moving so that she stood a step behind Baldur. He looked over his shoulder with a grin.

"Don't be afraid, I wouldn't bind you." He said with a wink. Bella let herself smile then. The same smile her Knights had seen in the tunnels at the beginning of April. A deadly, wicked smile that transformed her innocent face into a darker version of itself. Baldur's grin falthered at the sight as Bella lifted her hands.

"Not yet you wouldn't...but I will." She said and pushed all of her magic into her hands as she clamped them down on Baldur's sides. He tried to yank away but Bella was already speaking the words she'd learned. The words that would let her take control of Baldur.

With a small flash the ring of bones descended from the ceiling. The unicorn hair string shimmered in the light of Baldur's chain. The bones turned scarlet as Bella spoke.

_"I will enter your soul. I will take hold of it and make you my slave. I will enter your soul. I will be obeyed. I will enter your soul. I grasp it now."_

Ghostly arms sank into Baldur's shoulders, came out and twined around his waist, around his legs. Baldur tried to protest but the magic running through the basilisk bones and the unicorn string was stronger than him for the moment. The circle constriced around Bella and Baldur while Bella poured her magic into the spell. She shut her eyes and found herself seeing an image of something bright and pulsing. With her ghostly hands she grasped it tight.

Baldur let out a small, choked whimper before his brilliant blue eyes became dull. Bella smirked as she clenched onto the bright thing tighter. She tested her hold on him then as she stepped back from the young man. He didn't retaliate or even blink as she moved her fisted hands up and around.

The bigger test though, was too see if she could control Baldur's element as well as his body. Bella focused and concentrated as she made Baldur drop one part of his glittering chain. She focused until she could make a ball of light appear in his hand. It took precious time. Bella huffed a little when the light glimmered in Baldur's hand without guttering. She moved as if throwing a baseball then and the ball was hurled into a mass of shadows. The shadows seemed to shriek as they were melted away.

With a dark smile, Bella called out, "Knights, draw back!"

The Knights did so, grabbing Parvati and falling back behind a few of the snake statues. Bella chuckled as Krum looked over at her, his expression livid.

Bella used her control of Baldur to make him raise his chain. "Fleur, Luna, Draco!" Bella called and they stepped out from their hiding spots. Krum wasn't being idle in the meantime though. He was stalking towards Bella furiously, Darkness gathering around him like a swarm. He could probably shatter her spell with how angry he was.

But then Bella felt a heavy wind blasting around them all. Fleur, Luna and Draco were channellling their elements together. They had Parvati with them and she was looking suspicious but for the moment she was also channelling the raw power of her element along with the other four. Bella took a deep breath, as she added the power of earth into the mix. Krum staggered suddenly, his eyes widening as his shadows were torn apart.

"Goodbye Darkness." Bella murmured, feeling a little faint as she forced Baldur to throw the chain in his hands around Krum. As the glittering chain began to wrap around him, Bella shifted her focus onto Parvati. "Goodbye Water." She said as she moved her arms and a new chain appeared in Baldur's hands. The chain was thrown out at Parvati, who shrieked as it began to wrap around her. Bella could feel Baldur start to fight at the sound of Parvati's shriek. Bella gasped when she felt how easily Baldur was tearing through her spell. She focused though. It was almost done. She just had to let those chains finish wrapping around Krum and Parvati.

They were fighting them too, while Luna, Draco and Fleur continued to let their elemental energy run free. Bella stepped up and put her hands on Baldur's back, panting as she fought to keep control. Baldur would stop it if she let him win. She just had to hold on.

The chains finished wrapping around the two teenagers. Bella watched as the light began to skin into their bodies then.

"N-o." Baldur choked as he tried to wrestle free once more. Bella clung to him tighter. She had to get rid of Darkness and Water. She just had to. No matter what.

Her body was feeling the stress again. She was panting and her vision blurred. But she wasn't going to let go until she had those two bound. Without powers. Not until then.

Krum and Parvati had fallen to the floor at some point. They screamed and shouted, Krum spit out obsenities as the light chains slowly sank into him. Parvati just shrieked. Their elements were running wild. Shadows and water masses whirled around them, trying to pry off the light.

Then the noise stopped and Bella looked to see that the shadows around Krum had disappeared. Paravti was laying in the middle of a large puddle, her eyes wide. Krum was touching his neck. Bella saw a flash of light and knew that her spell collar had vanished.

She sighed as she felt Baldur fighting against her. This time she didn't try to fight. She just pulled back. She drew her magic away from Baldur and let him regain control of his body.

The last thing she remembered clearly was a blinding flash of light and several voices shouting.

* * *

Coming out of the darkness was a bit nerve-wracking. Bella worried. Would she find the castle in ruins and Baldur laughing over the ashes?

Instead she found herself staring up at the familiar hospital wing.

"Someone better tell me I'm not in here again." She murmured as she tried to sit up. Fiery pain made her cry out and she flopped back onto her bed, which didn't help.

Once she could open her eyes again she found herself peering up at several faces. "Ow." She whimpered as something was rubbed into her arm.

"Bella Luciana Malfoy." Lucius's vocie was low and snapping. Bella gulped. Oh boy. She was doomed. "This is the second time I've come here to find you nearly dying. Now you're going to tell me why I shouldn't just drag you home and lock you in your room!"

Bella sighed, turning her head to look for allies.

"Father..." Draco tried to defend her but Lucius held up a hand to silence him.

"No Draco. You cannot defend her today. She will defend herself or face the consequences."

"She vas hurt vile taming me." Came a horribly familiar voice. She jerked up again, crying out against the flare of hot pain. She fought against the hands trying to push her down though and squinted through one eye to find Krum at the foot of her bed.

"Krum..." She gasped around the throbbing.

He nodded, looking calm and serious. "You succeeded." Krum told her. "I no longer control the shadows." He lifted a hand and showed her his palm, where a lightning bolt had been seared into his flesh. It looked like it was healing though.

"Miss Malfoy you must relax." Bella mentally groaned upon hearing Dumbledore's voice. Ah damn. "Bella, Krum and the others have been telling me the extraordinary story of your powers." Dumbledore said while helping Bella lean against a mound of pillows. Bella blinked, looking around and seeing only Fleur, Luna, and Parvati were present aside from Draco and Krum.

"Baldur." She said then, looking at her brother. "Where's Baldur?"

Draco scowled. "He broke free of your spell I guess and then he started...hitting you with this whip of light. Me and the girls managed to fight him off you. He tried to chain us up but we remembered what you said about how it wouldn't work if we didn't give him our energy." Draco shuddered as he touched Bella's arms. She had what looked like grill marks all over. It almost made her want to laugh. Almost. "He got pissed and tried to get us to attack by attacking the others but they managed to avoid getting hit." Draco said quickly when he saw Bella's eyes widen.

"Baldur ran avay." Krum growled then. "He saw ve vere more vorried about you and he fled. Coward."

Bella sank into the pillow, wincing at the pain. "He must have flayed me pretty good then." She muttered, feeling the shocks of fiery pain licking at her skin. She wouldn't give into the pain yet though. With a deep breath she turned to Dumbledore and her father.

"Okay...okay..." She mumbled. "Look, the Elemental War has started." She said and Dumbledore looked intriguied while Lucius looked confused. "It means that all the powerful elements have manifested into a person. Krum was Darkness. Parvati was Water. Fleur is Fire. Luna is Wind. Draco's Space. And I'm Earth." She took another breath. "Remember that boy I asked about Father? Lance Baldur? Well, he is Light." Bella looked down at the grill marks on her arms. "And he's wicked powerful."

"All year I've had dreams. Water would be used by Light to try and tame us all, if not outright destory us." Bella continued to explain. "Because the elements are wanting a part in the upcoming war." Bella looked up at Dumbledore. "You've been sensing it haven't you professor? And you Father, your mark grows stronger and stronger." Lucius and Dumbledore both nodded. Bella trembled as another lick of pain swept up her spine. Not yet. She had to explain it all.

"I felt it too. The elements want to win. Krum and Parvati had to be chained, so that their elements would not overrule them and cause devastation." Bella murmured. "Baldur's going to be on the side of Light. We're all screwed."

"Why would you say that?" Dumbledore asked curiously. Bella narrowed her eyes at him, partly due to the pain in her leg.

"Professor...Light cannot be allowed to participate." Bella stressed each word with as much emotion as possible. "It will upset the balance. The world will crumble around our ears!"

Dumbledore was looking a bit miffed. Bella sucked in another breath.

"You went against him, against Light. That is why you were punished." Dumbledore said then and Bella set her teeth to avoid yelling at the old man. She could see he wouldn't get it. Just like she'd told Fleur in the bathroom, those who were too much Darkness or too much Light would shut their eyes and refuse to hear anything they did not believe in.

She shut her own eyes and let out another shout of pain.

Pomfrey ushered everyone out of the hospital wing then. Bella was almost grateful she was in such blinding pain, otherwise she would have had to continue talking to that old fool.

_Light's reign is over Dumbledore. _She thought while Pomfrey began applying some salve that helped soothe the damaged nerves that kept shooting pain throughout Bella's body.

* * *

"You didn't tell him then." Bella murmured as she tried to feed herself some soup. Her hand was trembling a little. Pomfrey said her limbs would twitch and tremble for a bit until all the damage to her nerves were repaired. "About us?" She added, looking around at all her Knights.

"Course not." The Weasley twins scoffed.

"Draco told us all to scram when we got out of the Chamber." Crabbe added.

"Myrtle must have found the tunnel open and went to tell Dumbledore." Hermione explained. "Because we all barely had time to duck into a classroom before he showed up."

"I had the Map, that's how we knew he was coming." Harry said as he took the spoon and help up some soup to Bella's lips. She pouted for a second until Harry smiled at her. Sighing, she gave up and allowed herself to be fed.

"I really need to stop making myself an invalid." She muttered while Harry got another spoonful.

"Yes you do. You're making me lose decades over here." Harry replied with a small grimace as he looked at the bandages around Bella's arms. She took the next spoonful with a bit less reluctance.

"So how did you get out?" Bella wondered.

"Luna here." Draco said with a chuckle. "Pushed us all right back up."

Luna smiled pleasantly as she was given a quick hug by Neville.

Bella smiled and then sighed, leaning against her pillows wearily. "I'm sorry. That was more dangerous than I believed it would be." She told her friends. They all snorted, scoffed, and rolled their eyes.

"She's the one who gets zapped like a bug and still apologizes." Padma said with a shake of her head.

"It was not your fault Bella." Fleur said, looking a bit ruffled. "We knew ze risks. Besides, you are the one 'oo was 'urt."

Bella smiled then and they all continued to yammer on about what had happened in school during the week she'd spent in the hospital wing.

A lull in the conversation gave Bella the chance to speak again. "So what're Krum and Parvati up to?"

"Parvati's been bawling her eyes out." Padma informed her. "She's completely normal again and its burning her up. She's very put out with you too. But surprisingly she's been cursing Baldur more than you."

Well that was indeed news. "Why?"

"Apparently he promised Paravti she's become his little pet or something." Padma said without an ounce of sympathy. "She says girlfriend but we all know what that guy would have made her." There were nods from the others girls while the guys just blinked. Bella smiled.

"So she's upset she's powerless and left behind." Bella murmured. "Hey, that binding thing didn't affect her regular magic right?"

"Oh no, she's still got her witch magic." Padma said quickly. "She just can't control so much as a drop of water anymore."

"We figure the same thing happen to Krum. He's been avoiding sitting with us lately and sits further up the table." Blaise said with a heavy glee in his words. Hermione rolled her eyes and smacked him on the shoulder.

"Okay what is up with you Blaise?" Hermione demanded. "You've been doing a little victory jig every time we've run into Krum this week!"

Blaise looked at her, then at Bella who waved her hand airily and then rolled her grey eyes. Blaise smirked and got up from his seat, pulled Hermione to her feet, then proceeded to give her a sweet kiss on the lips.

Hermione blinked in shock as Blaise said right back down as if nothing had happened.

"Oh I'm sure Blaise has his reasons to be happy." Bella said then with a snort. The others recovered and began to laugh while Hermione's face turned bright pink and she dropped down in her seat, hands over her flaming cheeks.

Suddenly the pain, the worries that had been growing in her head, all of it was okay. Bella looked over her Knights, over her Empire, and could laugh and smile.

Because they'd be together.

Because she was an Empress hell-bent on protecting them.

Because they were able to laugh still.

She smiled as Harry leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek. "Hey, no slacking. You have to eat." He said, holding up another spoonful. Bella opened her mouth and accepted the help from her boyfriend.

* * *

**_And that is the end of this chapter. Next chapter, the Third Task and the dreaded evil-ness of it all! ^^. _**


	39. In the Graveyard

**My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot, which I hope is good. **

* * *

**Part Four**

_**Chapter Thirty-Nine: In the Graveyard**_

"I hate this tournament." Bella said with a scowl as she joined her brother at the Slytherin table. She'd been released once Pomfrey had deemed her fully healed. Two weeks in a hospital wing really made her appreciate little things like being able to use her hands and fingers and loud chatter. She would have gone stir-crazy without her brother and Harry visiting her constantly.

It was close to the end of May and Bella just wanted the year to be over. She hated this whole year. Between Harry's unwanted entry into the tournament and the whole Elemental business, she was just ready for the summer holidays. Her father had promised to keep people looking for Lance Baldur, so Bella's major worry was eased for a while. She highly doubted that Baldur would be showing his face again anytime soon.

Ignoring the piercing look being sent at her by Dumbledore, Bella smiled as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Harry and Hermione had joined them. "Where're Neville and Luna?" Bella asked as she looked around for them.

"We ran into her on the way downstairs. She was hunting something called a Whispit. Neville offered to stay with her until she caught it." Hermione said as she took the seat next to Blaise. Padma giggled from her seat next to Draco. Bella studied this while Harry began to load up her plate with food. She chuckled then.

"Something funny sister?" Draco wondered, happy to see his sister amused.

"Oh nothing really." Bella replied, letting her eyes travel over the couples she saw right before her eyes. She sighed happily as Padma got Draco's attention and turned her own attention to Harry. "Put anymore on my plate and I'll explode." She said with a laugh. Harry grinned and rolled his eyes.

"You will not. It's all good things." Harry argued. Bella stuck her tongue at him. He returned the gesture. They laughed at each other then. "There's something I wanted to ask you Bell." Harry said then. "And you have to promise to do it no matter what." He added with a pointed look. Bella wasn't used to hearing that from Harry and found herself nodding in spite of herself. "Say you'll promise." Harry insisted.

"Okay I promise to do it, whatever it is." Bella replied, arching an eyebrow as Harry smiled. "What did I just promise to do?"

"You just promised to not worry about anything for the rest of the term." Harry said sternly. "No Elemental stuff, nothing about anything that isn't common teenage stuff."

Bella blinked at him for a long second then let out a chuckle and a smirk. "Hn. Well then. I've been tricked into relaxing." She stated and their friends laughed.

"What happened?" Neville asked cheerfully as he and Luna joined them at the table.

"Harry is trying to get Bella to relax." Padma explained with a roll of her eyes. "I say he's fighting a losing battle there. Bella isn't made for relaxing until _she _decides it."

"Yeah but she promised this time." Harry countered with a smug smile. "Which means she'll have to do it. Bell wouldn't break a promise to me after all."

Bella stuck her tongue out a him again. "You're a horrible person Harry Potter."

Harry nodded unrepentantly. "We can't all bow down to the Empress." Harry replied with a wink.

They all laughed and Bella leaned into him, hugging him tight. He hugged her in return.

"So you can't worry about a thing. Not a thing." Harry reiterated. Bella sighed but nodded.

"I'll try not to."

* * *

_Trying and doing are two very different things_, Bella mused as she watched Harry casting the Impediment spell at Blaise. She probably wouldn't have worried so much, if not for the fact that the last two tasks had nearly caused her brain to hemorrhage from the sheer danger of it all.

But she'd promised not to worry and try to relax. It was easier when she thought that the last task was a maze, filled with obstacles that Harry would be able to overcome. He was used to that sort of stuff. The Sorcerer's Stone adventure was a prime example. It would be simple as pie for Harry to get through.

Bella just reminded herself that when this task was over, win or lose, Harry would be safe. Free of the obligation. They could focus on other things. Like spending the summer together.

"So," Harry said when they finished and Hermione and Blaise had left them alone. "What's the plan for the summer?"

Bella smiled as he took her hand and they made their way to Moody's class. "The plan is to steal you away from the Dursleys and keep you in Malfoy Manor." She said as she twined their fingers together. "Father was saying maybe we could go to the ocean."

"Really? I've never been to the ocean."

"Hehe, exactly why Father suggested it I think. He figures you and Sirius could use from sunshine far away from England."

Harry grinned at his girlfriend. He wasn't stupid. It was her that had suggested it to her father no doubt.

Catching him grinning, Bella rolled her eyes, smirking a little. "What're you thinking about now?" She asked as they joined the crowd outside the DADA classroom.

"How you try not to draw attention to yourself." Harry replied, pushing a bit of her hair behind her ear. Some girls giggled at that but Harry couldn't care less about them. Bella blushed and rolled her eyes however. "It's funny, considering you're the empress." he added in a quieter tone.

"Yeah well I can't always be the glory-hog in this relationship." Bella replied making Harry crack another grin. "Someone's got to keep up with you, Mr. Boy-Who-Doesn't-Die."

"Haha." Harry replied, sticking his tongue out at her. Bella did it in return and the door to their classroom opened. Their professor let out a laugh at the sight of the two blowing raspberries at each other.

"If you're both quite done, get inside. We have to start getting you ready for finals." Moody growled with another chuckle.

_She can be serious and immature and she knows which one I need usually. And that's another thing I lo-like about Bell. _Harry thought as their classmates laughed along with them and filed into class. He blushed a little at his mental slip though. He'd have to be careful with that.

Bella turned to look at him as they took their seats and smiled while Moody waved his wand to make the notes show up on the board.

Unknown to either of them, they were being watched.

* * *

"Bella." Severus calling her made her stop. She saw the stern look in his eyes and waved to her boyfriend and friends as she went up to him.

"What's wrong Severus?" She wondered as he continued to look stern.

"I wanted to tell you to be careful." Severus said then. "Dumbledore is a bit worried about you. I am too, but for different reasons." Severus ruffled her hair then. "Please, don't do anything reckless."

Bella giggled. "Harry made me promise the same thing, more or less." She laughed at her godfather's scowl. "Hehe, you and him can be a lot alike sometimes."

"Never repeat those words again." Severus demanded making her laugh more as she hugged him.

"Don't worry so much Papa Sev." Bella told him with an innocent, happy grin. "Nothing bad can happen anymore. Harry will finish the tournament, I'll take my exams and pass them with high marks. We'll all have a nice vacation by the beach and life will go on."

Severus hugged her in return, looking down at his left forearm. "I hope it will be as you say." He murmured as he watched the girl leave his classroom. "For all our sakes."

* * *

The Third Task pounced on them without warning. Bella and Harry were sitting together, trying to eat lunch, when McGonagall appeared and told him he had to go get ready. Sirius paled and Bella felt Harry's hand twitch in her own before he offered his godfather and his girlfriend a smile. The rest of the empire cheered him on as he got up from the table.

"He'll be fine." Sirius said, but from his tone Bella knew he was trying to convince himself more than her. "It'll all be over tonight at any rate."

"Uh-huh. And we'll be in Hawaii in no time." Bella replied, making the man smile at her. Hawaii had been decided for their summer destination. Somewhere far from England where there was only sunshine, surf, and plenty of sand.

"Ahh Hawaii." Sirius grinned then. "On a private Malfoy estate and a private Malfoy beach with privacy spells all around. Perfect."

They had to wait only a little longer before they were told to make their way to the Quidditch Pitch.

"Malfoy." Bella turned and found Professor Moody waving her over. "Mind if I have a word alone?" He asked.

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Lucius asked, eyeing the man with distaste as he put a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"'Fraid not Lucius." Moody said with a smirk that had Lucius's eyebrow twitching.

"It's okay Father." Bella promised as she gave him a hug. "It won't take long, right sir?"

Moody nodded.

"Very well." Lucius sighed. He'd learned that fighting too much with his daughter's stubborn nature was usually a lost cause. "We will go ahead and save you a good seat."

Her father, godfather, and brother continued to look over their shoulders until the crowd grew too thick between them. Moody and Bella walked along towards the end of the large body of people moving towards the pitch.

"What is it you wanted to talk about sir?" Bella wondered as the people in front of them got further and further ahead.

"Oh, just figured you'd like this back." Moody said, holding up a dragonfly barrette. Bella gasped, staring at it. "Heard the Weasley girl had taken it from you. Thought you might like it back."

Bella reached out to take it. "But why-" Her words cut off as she felt a familiar but unexpected hook behind her navel. Eyes wide, she saw Moody leering as everything began spinning around her. She didn't know what was going on, she only knew for sure that the barrette had been turned into a Portkey.

Her feet hit solid ground and she fell forward, crying out as she landed on a rock. The rock cut into her forehead and she hissed in the sudden, stinging pain. The fall had hurt and she lay there for a moment, tasting dirt and grass before she pushed herself up onto her knees.

"This...is..." Bella looked around to find herself amid gravestones. "What...?"

A spell hitting her in the back of the head had her losing consciousness in the next second.

When she opened her eyes again it was to find herself being bound against a tree. There was something in front of her. She couldn't tell what. Her head pounded slightly as the person tying her to the tree finished securing her to it and returned to his work. She blinked, trying to see who it was that had tied her up.

"Bell! Bell!"

Only one person called her Bell.

She focused on finding the source and her eyes widened as she took in a horrible sight. Harry, tied to a headstone. Bella felt the wind knocked out of her as she stared at her boyfriend who was squriming against his own bindings. The man who'd tied her up had stuffed something into Harry's mouth now, cutting off his shouts of her name.

"Harry!" She shouted and tried to move. Her arms and legs were securly tied to the tree though. She gave a frustrated growl as the person returned, pulling a large, stone cauldron close to the gravestone where Harry was bound.

It began to sparkle after the person Bella didn't recognize made a fire begin to burn under it. It boiled and bubbled, looking like diamonds were floating all along the surface. She then saw the man lift something from the ground. Harry let out a muffled cry while she gazed at the thing in horror. It looked like a child, a flat-faced, raw-red skinned, red-eyed child. Bella shuddered as the earth all around her seemed to shrink away from the stone cauldron.

The earth! Bella tried to focus on the earth around her. Surely she could-

A bolt of pain rushed through her own body and she cringed as she gasped in air.

She couldn't access the earth. Why!

"Your powers are not working here, because this earth is dead." Said a voice behind her. She turned her head and saw a young man step from behind her, while the other dropped the child-thing into the large cauldron. The man at her side reminded her of Lance Baldur, except that he was like Baldur's negative. Black hair that trailed down his back, dark brown skin, and his eyes were as dark black as Severus's. An odd chill came from this young man who was smiling pleasantly. She didn't like him anymore than she had Baldur, she decided.

"Who're you?" Bella wondered, looking at Harry who was watching the man with fury in his eyes. The other man's shout made her attention return to the scene playing out before her.

"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!" The headstone Harry was on cracked and Bella gasped, watching as something powdery floated in the air and then was dropped into the cauldron. The glittering white potion hissed and turned a posionous blue.

The man beside her chuckled as he brushed her hair out of her face. She jerked her head away, struggling to get free again. "What do you mean the earth is dead?" Bella wondered even as she continued to try and release one of her bindings. "Stuff's growing here, isn't it?"

"Hmm, yes." The young man replied. "But that is not what I meant by dead."

While Bella pondered this she stared at Harry, then at the man working at the cauldron. He was holding his hand over it, a manic grin on his face. "Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master!" As he spoke he drew a silver dagger from his cloak and held that over his hand.

The stranger's hand covered her eyes but that didn't stop her from hearing the shout of pain and the sound of something splashing into the liquid. Her stomach churned as the hand was removed and she was staring at the burning red liquid from the cauldron. She stuggled harder then. Her entire being was shouting out that whatever was happening in front of her had to be stopped. It had to be ended. It couldn't be finished.

"You have to stop it!" Bella said then, looking on as the stranger walked over to Harry, holding the dagger in his hand and leering. "Please!"

"Now why would I do that?" The young man chuckled as she struggled to try and get the earth to rise up to defend Harry. "Don't worry, he isn't going to murder your boyfriend." He added, making Bella paused for a second before she started struggling again.

The other man was standing right in front of Harry. Bella could only watch and scream in frustrated horror as the man stabbed Harry's arm. "Harry!" She shouted, begging the earth to obey her.

"Calm down, its only a little nick." The man next to her said as the other pulled out a vial, cackling, and caught some of Harry's blood. He walked over to the cauldron while saying the last words needed.

"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe!" He tossed the blood into the cauldron and it became blinding white, making Bella avert her eyes and squint even then. The man beside her lifted up his cloak, shielding her from it but also cutting off her view of Harry.

"Who are you dammit!" Bella demanded to know.

"One of the two elements your friend Darkness forgot to tell you about." The young man said with a chuckle as he cupped Bella's cheek with his other hand. "I am Death." he said then. Bella's eyes widened further as the young man dropped his cloak and she whipped around to check on Harry. Harry was looking over at the cauldron which had stopped sparkling. Steam now curled off of it in a tower. It blocked everything as thoroughly as the man proclaiming to be Death had. She couldn't see anything.

Through the steam Bella could make out an outline of someone. A man. Her heart thumped in her chest and the tree she was tied to seemed to be shouting in her ear. She had a sudden, sickening feeling in her gut as she realized what exactly she'd witnessed...and who it was that was being robed by the other man.

Her breath froze as she stared at the man stepping out of the cauldron, his eyes on his newly formed body.

"It's...him..." Was all she could seem to say as she focused on the form of the darkest wizard of the century.

Lord Voldemort was alive once more.

"That's kind of the reason I'm here, to be honest." The young man next to her said conversationally while the Dark Lord examined himself then turned to his helper and ordered him to lift his arm. The man gave him his whole arm, wearing a look of dazzled ecstacy as the Dark Lord pushed his sleeve aside and revealed something red on the man's arm. He touched it and the man yelped in pain but once the Dark Lord removed his finger the man laughed as he looked at the now black mark on his forearm.

"How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?" Lord Voldemort whispered, turning his eyes to the sky. "And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?"

"Oi! Let me go!" Bella shouted suddenly, turning to the boy next to her. "Let me go, let me go, let me go! Now!"

The boy next to her laughed even as the Dark Lord turned his attention to them, much to Harry's horror. "Now now little Earth child, I've told you, you cannot access the power of this earth. This earth belongs to the dead, and by extension to me."

"Who the bloody fuck cares about that!" Bella replied making Harry's terror fade a bit. Leave it to Bella Malfoy of all people to start raging now of all times in front of a dark lord. He almost had to laugh. Almost.

"Oh, so this is little Bella Malfoy?" Voldemort asked as he glided over to her, chuckling as Harry began struggling to get free now, shouting through his gag and raging as he pulled aginst his bindings with all his might. Bella's stuggles stopped however. Voldemort was the one being she truly feared on this world. The things he'd done...the things he could do...she slumped against the tree and wished she could recall her courage. "And who might you be?"

"I am the weilder of Death." The man laughed at Voldemort's hiss. "Oh don't worry. I can't actually send you to death Dark Lord. I can merely make the dead and those tied to it do my bidding."

"And why are you here?" Voldemort wondered, turning to the young man who was smiling down at Bella now. Harry's struggles doubled as he cupped Bella's chin again.

"To see who disturbs the slumber of these resting souls." The boy replied with a bow. "I will not interfere." He promised Voldemort. "Unless you attempt against Earth's life. I need her living you know." he said with a cheeky wink. Voldemort snorted but he was no fool. You did not mess with the Granddaddy of all the elements.

"So long as you do not interfere, you have nothing to worry about. The girl will live. Only Potter will die." Voldemort said, turning a smile at Harry then and walking away. Death chuckled quietly.

"I think I scare him." He whispered in Bella's ear. Bella scowled at him and renewed her squirming. She'd get free, do something to distract Baldy-Snake-Face and make sure Harry got out of this blasted graveyard.

_I have to help him. I have to protect him. I can't let him get hurt. He needs to get out of here! _Bella felt tears sting her eyes as Voldemort spoke to Harry about his father.

"Calm down." The boy next to her said, his black eyes sparkling with humor of all things. "Chill. If something bad was going to happen, Life would be here."

Bella slumped in defeat again, her eyes shimmering with her tears as the pops of Apparition were heard. She jumped as two people appeared behind her tree and stopped to stare at her before they moved forward. She sniffled a little, more scared now as she watched Death Eaters approached the Dark Lord and kiss his robes, then form a circle around them all. She tried not to let her tears spill, but one look at Harry, vulnerable and strung up like a sacrifice, made her nearly sob. She couldn't free herself. Her power was useless. She didn't even think she had her wand! "Useless...stupid and useless..." She murmured, bowing her head, hoping Harry hadn't seen her cry. She had to be strong or else he'd start worrying about her and then he'd get even more hurt!

"Oh calm down love." The boy next to her said as he made her head come up and wiped her face dry. "And pay attention. I said I wouldn't interfere but I just might if you give me good enough reason to."

"Why?" She asked, looking at this boy who was smirking at the Death Eaters and rolling his eyes as Voldemort grandstanded.

"Because I know what you're up to little Earth child." He said as he pinched her cheek. "You don't want him to win...but you don't want the old coot to win either." Bella's eyes widened and the boy chuckled. "If I'm on any side, it would have to be yours."

Bella glared at him then returned her attention to Voldemort, because he was saying her name.

"As you can see, young Bella Malfoy has also joined us." Voldemort said laughingly. "Lucius, you truly do make pretty children. She looks just as beautiful as Mireya."

Bella gasped as she sought out her father. "She does take after her mother, my lord." Lucius's voice called. Bella squeezed her eyes shut and told herself not to panic. Lucius had to show up, or else the Dark Lord would have marked him for dead. Damn...

"And her power is as great as her mothers. Even from here I can feel it." Voldemort replied, eyeing her and making her shudder. "Haha...yes indeed...so like Mireya...and where is Mireya?"

"Dead." Lucius replied stoicly. "Dead by the hands of Bellatrix." Voldemort's smirk faded into an ugly snarl.

"Bellatrix hmm?" The Dark Lord didn't look too happy about that.

"Heh." Bella huffed then as she continued to struggle. "Trust me Voldemort, you get that cow out of Azkaban and I'll squish her like a gnat." Bella cried out then as her ropes cut into her skin. "I'll do the same to you...once I'm free..."

"Your threats would be more interesting if you could free yourself." Voldemort chuckled.

"And if I could control dead earth." Bella sneered under her breath, looking over at the body beside her, who was eyeing her bleeing wrist with a frown.

"Ah yes...that would hinder you some, wouldn't it?" Voldemort taunted. Bella let out a hiss of anger as she tried to get free yet again, ignoring the stinging pain of her cut wrists.

"Keep it up Voldemort, I'll eventually get out of these ropes and then I'll happily demonstrate my control over my element all over your-" The words were cut off as a Cruciatus curse was delivered onto her. She screamed at the sudden pain. Everything burst into fiery pain, needles and knives stabbed everywhere, and her throat was made raw as she continued to shout.

It was ended and she took a few seconds to return to her right mind. Once she had, it was to see Harry falling to the ground. The teenager took a second to assess the distance then raced over to stand in front of her. "Bell! Bell!" He shouted, cupping her face and looking at her. She tried to crack a grin.

"I'm okay." She told him in a slightly slurred voice. "Ouch..." She whimpered as Harry quickly severed the ropes while some of the Death Eaters laughed.

"How did you even get here?" Harry asked as he helped her stand up.

"Moody...he gave me a Portkey..." Bella frowned as she spoke, shaking her head and wincing as her neck muscles protested that.

"Come now Harry, your little girlfriend will be fine." Voldemort called. "Leave her to Death."

Harry's eyes flickered up to meet the onyx gaze of the young man that was bending over them, checking Bella over and casting a healing charm at her injured wrists.

"You go take care of business." The boy told Harry. "I'll keep her safe." He added with a wink.

Bella grasped Harry's wrist then, narrowing her eyes. "Get out of here." She grimaced as she heard Voldemort taunt Harry some more. "I can keep him distracted."

Another spell had her flying into the tree, her head hitting hard. Harry whirled around, wand out, as Voldemort smirked.

Bella groaned as spots appeared in front of her vision. "Damn...no..." She groaned as she tried to stand up. "No..."

"Shh." The boy said to her as he picked her up, holding her in his arms. "Shh, don't you worry about the boy. It is not his time. I would know." He smirked then. "You can't do anything for him."

Bella fought, she fought against the darkness tunneling her vision, but it was no use. She fell unconscious as Voldemort sent the Imperious curse at Harry.

...

She snapped back into consciousness and cursed her weakness. She looked around, her jaw dropping as she stared at the large, golden dome. The soothing sound of phoenix song filled the air and she relaxed a little.

"Bella!" Lucius said as they took notice of her. She looked at him, then looked up to find herself still being held by the boy who said he was Death.

"You can put me down now." She huffed. He laughed.

"Oh not yet." He replied with a grin. "Your boyfriend...he's going to be coming out soon. The spirits are speaking to him."

Bella struggled to be put on her feet but the boy held her tighter. "Calm down. He's going to need you in a second."

"Why? I can't do anything!" Bella cried, anger and fear making her hit the boy. "I don't have my wand, I can't use the earth-!"

"You can if I help you." He cut in then. Bella's eyes widened then narrowed.

"Why would you?" She wondered as she looked up at him.

"Because I want to." He replied with a shrug. "Now, pay attention. The shades that he forced out of Voldemort's wand will provide a momentary disversion. But it won't be enough. If you let me use your power, we can keep him safe long enough for him to get the Portkey. Then I can get you out of here."

Bella looked at her father. Lucius was nodding along with this boy's plans.

"And I ought to trust you why?" She asked as he finally set her on her feet.

"Because I genuinely do not want this snake-faced bastard to win." He replied with a chuckle.

The phoenix song ended and the dome burst apart. Bella gasped as Harry rushed through the Death Eaters, towards Diggory's body and the Triwizard Cup. "What do I do!" She shouted over the sudden barrage of spells and hexes flying through the air.

The boy put his hands over her temples and Bella gasped as she felt something trying to break into her mind. She struggled only a second then let it in. Cold washed through her. Cold power that was greater than any she'd ever felt, even Baldur's. And she could feel the earth under her feet, feel the coldness and stillness.

"Not for long." She said and lifted her arms. A wall of thick earth rose up, blocking Voldemort and his Death Eaters. It was so easy to command this earth! So easy to make it branch out and knock into the Dark wizards.

"Sorry to cut your power high." Said Death as his hands suddenly fell away. The earth crumbled into a useless heap and Bella was grateful to see Harry and Diggory were gone.

"You!" Voldemort shourted shrilly.

"And that's our cue." The boy said as he grabbed her around the waist, saluted her father and then twisted away, Apparating them away.

They reappeared in Hogsmeade and Bella grunted as her knees buckled.

"Hurry up now." The boy said as he kept her steady. "Get inside those gates and tell everyone what's what."

"You're not coming?" She wondered.

He grinned and kissed her cheek before pushing her towards the castle gates. "I'll be there once I take care of a few things."

Bella nodded and rushed aside.

* * *

"Are you ever going to stop getting into stupid, dangerous, nearly fatal situations!" Severus shouted and Bella wasn't sure who he was shouting at, her or Harry?

Harry shared a small smirk with her. She returned it for a second.

Once she'd been within the Hogwarts grounds the complete horror of everything she'd seen had hit her. She'd barely managed to tell Severus and Draco what had happened before she'd started worrying about Lucius. And then she'd worried about Harry, who wasn't anywhere to be found.

Dumbledore found him nearly killed by Moody, who it turned out was an imposter. Then Dumbledore had whisked Harry away while she'd been forced into the hospital wing. Severus and Draco had made her get into a bed and drink some potions. She'd passed out from the mental exhuastion then. When she'd woken up, it was to find Fudge there.

After that, Severus had had to leave.

"No!" She'd shouted, latching onto his robes, her eyes wide and her body trembling. "No! Don't go! Stay! You have to stay! You can't go to that insane, fucking bastard!"

She'd been put under again after that.

When she'd again opened her eyes, it was to find Lucius being patched up in the bed next to hers. She started to cry then. She'd climbed into the bed with him and wept her eyes out until she couldn't anymore.

She stayed there for another day and then she'd clung to Harry's side like there was no tomorrow. She'd been unable to shake her fear that Voldemort would reappear and she'd once again be helpless.

It wasn't odd to find Harry and Bella surrounded by their Empire after that night. They had been sitting outside in the sunshine when Severus had appeared. He'd been busy the past two weeks so it was only a matter of time.

"You are seriously grounded for life! I'm not letting you out of my sight! What do I have to do to make sure neither of you dies!" Severus took a deep breath then while Harry and Bella looked up at him.

"Ah chill old man." The voice made them all jump as they turned and found the boy Death standing there. "It was necessary."

"What?" Severus said, directing his foul temper at the young man.

The young man nodded. "It was all necessary. Trust me, when you mess with Death, you tend to learn some things about the Living." The boy chuckled as he braided his long dark hair.

"Just who-" Fred began with a look of distrust.

"-Are you?" George finished with narrowed blue eyes.

The boy gave them all a bow. "Jett Olexei, Element Master of Death."

"Death's an element?" Harry asked now as Severus glared at the young man.

Jett laughed and nodded. "Of course it is. Not as well known as the others, but it is. Death and Life, the greatest elements of all." Jett turned to Bella with a smirk. "And both of us have been watching you. We were impressed by how you dealt with Dark, Water and Light."

"Wonderful, more elements." Severus hissed as he rubbed at his aching forehead.

"Oh it's just getting started old timer." Jett teased as he bowed once more. "I'm just hear to check up on you Earth." He smiled kindly then. Bella didn't trust him anymore than she had trusted Baldur at the moment, so she grimaced in return. "Mind you keep yourself in one piece okay? Life and I will continue watching, intervening when necessary." Jett turned his dark eyes to Harry then. "Harry Potter, you have been marked by the Dark Lord since you were one year old. He will hunt you down, again and again, until he is defeated. I can't tell you exactly how to do it, but I can tell you this. You and Earth girl here need to rule together, or die alone." Harry shuddered at the honesty in the boy's voice.

"Rule together?" Bella asked then.

"Your empire." Jett told them, making the students stare at him in shock while Severus merely cocked an eyebrow. "This war has begun, and if your empire is successful, it will end with you as the victors."

"And you want that?" Harry asked him.

Jett nodded. "Mind you take care of her now Harry, or else I'll be coming by to take her from ya." Jett said, before he began wandering into the Forbidden Forest. Bella watched him leave with a confused air. She turned to find her Knights and brother all glaring at the laughing Jett Olexei. She sighed as Severus turned back to her and demanded they all go back inside.

Harry turned to look at her as they walked back inside, a frown on his face. "I don't like that guy." He said at last. Bella stared at him then started laughing. It was the first time she'd laughed out loud like that in the past two weeks.

And so it began. Bella couldn't tell what would come but she had Jett's words in her head. Her empire. If she ruled together with Harry, their empire would become the victors.

She couldn't help the smirk as she went up to visit her father a few hours later. Voldemort had done a number on him, and he was still recovering. She smiled as she saw him sitting up and eating on his own though.

"Something good happened?" Lucius asked as she sat on the edge of her bed. She grinned a little deviously then.

"You could say that." Bella replied as she hugged her father. "Things are definitely looking up."

She would fight. With her friends and brother at her side. She'd begin soon. She'd show the Light and the Dark that there was another power that could defeat them. Her power. The Empire's power.

"And this time, there won't be any dead earth getting in my way." She promised aloud.

Lucius looked at her for a moment then shook his head. "I don't want to know." He told her, laughing as she finally gave him a full blown smile.

* * *

**End Part Four**

* * *

**_Argh! It feels rushed for some reason. But ah! It is done! Haha! *groans* It took me forever to answer this didn't it? Sorry! Sorry sorry sorry! ^^. But hey, next up, Part Five: Year Five. Yay! Hehehehee. _**


	40. Building Up

**My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot, which I hope is good. **

**Well dearies here we go, Part Five! ^^. **

* * *

**Part Five **

_**Chapter Forty: Building Up**_

Bella Malfoy was going to fifteen years old in August. She was a top student. She was the girlfriend of Harry Potter. She was the illegitimate daughter of Lucius Malfoy. She was the younger sister of Draco Malfoy. She was a Slytherin. She possessed the power to control the element of Earth. She had discovered the women posing as her aunt and mother were imposters, when no one else had. She had created an Empire with her friends and brother shortly after turning fourteen, which had dispatched the Element Holders of Water and Darkness. She had a vendetta against Light. She'd witnessed the revival of a Dark Lord. She'd suffered through more than her share of inicidents which served only to make her stronger in the end.

She had done a lot in her nearly fifteen short years on this world. And now to that list of accomplishments she was happily going to add: Ignore the Orders of the Great Icon of Light, Albus Dumbledore.

"So...remind me why we're here again Earth Girl."

"We're here because I happen to have decided Harry is mine." Bella said as she turned to look at Jett Olexei, the one who claimed to be the element Death. She'd never heard of Death or Life being considered elements. But when she thought about it, it kind of made sense. Death and Life were elements that were faced by every being on the world. Without Life there was no Death and without either there were no Elements. "And that I have a right to be with him, whether or not Dumbledore likes it."

Bella wasn't a happy girl with the Headmaster at the moment. The day that term ended, Bella and Harry were getting ready to leave with Lucius and Severus to Malfoy Manor. The wards in and around Malfoy Manor were nearly as strong as those around Hogwarts. But then Dumbledore had butted in and decided that Sirius and Harry were to go to Grimmauld Place.

At first it sounded like a good plan. Harry would need to be safer from now on since the return of the Dark Lord. Bella had let it go for about two weeks. Then she'd realized she was miserable at Malfoy Manor without Harry. It was around the third week of July that Bella began wondering why she wasn't invited to Grimmauld Place. She hadn't really thought about it until then. When she'd asked Severus to ask Dumbledore if she could go visit Harry, the response had been; 'He thinks it would be best if you didn't just yet.' What had really peeved her off was when she'd discovered not only was Hermione allowed to go to Grimmauld Place with Harry, but that the Weasleys had been invited there too. _All _of them.

Thus she found herself here, traveling down the street towards the headquarters with Death a.k.a. Jett Olexei. She'd snuck out of Malfoy Manor that night and had been on the verge of going on her own when he'd just appeared out of nowhere like a creepy stalker.

"You should have told your friends." Jett said then with a laugh in his voice. Bella had come to find out she really hated people like Baldur and Jett, who could hide their true selves behind smiles. Sure she'd learned that art too, but those two boys were like Grand Masters at it.

"If I had told Draco and Blaise, they would have called on Padma, Luna, Crabbe and Goyle and then this would not be a stealth mission." Bella replied with a small smirk. "Besides, they wouldn't have let you come." She added and Jett laughed.

"As if a few Knights and a Space Twister would stop me." Jett replied.

"Do you have nicknames for all of us?" She wondered then. Jett always called her Earth Girl. He'd taken to calling Draco, Space Twister, and when Luna had visited Malfoy Manor a few days before had been dubbed Breeze Maker. _He's such a nutcase. _Bella thought as Jett merely gave a smirk and a chuckle in response.

"Here we go." Jett said suddenly, stopping in front of a patch of ugly lawn. Bella turned and looked, seeing Numbers 11 and 13 but no 12. She was just thinking over the words Severus had made her read when there was a slight rumble and a house materialized from between the other two houses. Jett chuckled once the house had appeared while Bella sneered in the soft darkness of the square.

"I was expecting a little more of a grand reveal." Bella said as she and Jett walked up to the door. Just as she was about to push the doorbell the door opened and she stood there staring at a tall, red haired person. She guessed it was a Weasley she hadn't met, probably one of the older brothers Bill or Charlie. He had a fang earring in one ear and towered over her a bit.

The Weasley turned then to call over his shoulder, "Uh...we have company."

"My name is Bella Malfoy." Bella said then. "I'm here to see Harry and Sirius. And so help me if anyone says no..." She said then, the anger of the past fortnight slipping into her words. "I have absolutely no qualms about turning the dirt under this foundation into quicksand-"

"That will not be necessary Bella." Severus said, appearing in the doorway then. Bella turned pink before it cleared and she hugged her godfather.

"Sev'rus!" She chirped cheerfully. It had been a few days since she'd seen him. He looked overworked and paler than normal. It put a frown on her lips as he gently patted her head.

"Dumbledore told you to wait." Severus continued as he beckoned her inside. She waved at Jett to follow her and the two entered the hallway where many people were gathered.

"Dumbledore is being a jerk." Bella snapped. Many of the adults turned to look at her with surprised expressions. Mrs. Weasley, she noted, gave her an especially hard look.

Severus chuckled and pat her again. "Well since you are here, you may as well stay. I see Death is with you." Severus's voice was even but his flashing eyes showed how much he liked that idea. Jett just nodded.

"Earth Girl is necessary to the plan." Jett replied which immediately made Severus bristle. Bella put herself between the two with a sigh.

"Shut up Death." She said making Jett crack a grin. "Sev'rus, where's Harry?"

"Harry's upstairs." Came the reply from the side. Turning, Bella let go of Severus to crush Sirius in a hug. He returned the gesture with a soft bark of laughter. "You need to keep quiet in here okay?" Sirius said when she pulled away and looked like she was going to say something loud. "There's an enchanted portrait of my mum that screams something awful when it gets too loud."

"Oh, okay." Bella said dropping her voice. "Can you take me to Harry, Sirius?"

Sirius nodded with another laugh. "My pleasure." He took her up the stairs then while the others began mumbling to Severus and themselves.

"That's the Order." Sirius told them once they'd gone up two flights of stairs. "Not exactly the right crowd to be in front of when saying bad things about a certain old coot." Sirius's face became hard then. Bella wondered if he was having problems with the headmaster too. Seeing the inquisitive look in her eye, Sirius let out a snort. "Dumbledore was trying to convince me that maybe it'd be best to send Harry to his relatives for a while, because of some ancient blood wards or something. I told him he could kindly go shove it."

Now Bella snorted, eyes narrowing. "That would be one of the most idiotic things the man could do."

"Yes well, I won't let him." Sirius said and stopped them in front of one door. "He's bunking with the twins. Molly Weasley tried to put him up with Ron but Harry wouldn't stay in there." He knocked and a second later Bella was tackling her boyfriend in a ferocious hug.

"Harry!" She squealed as she felt arms wrap around her. Harry was silent for a moment then he began to laugh. More laughter joined theirs and she looked up to find Fred and George sitting on a bed, their faces in identical grins.

"Bell!" Harry said then and gave her a peck on the lips which made Bella grin as he helped her to her feet. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm ignoring what Dumbledore told me to do." Bella replied making them laugh more. "I missed you sooo much! It isn't fair that Mione gets to stay with you but not me!" Bella whined making Harry shake his head, his grin widening.

"Welcome to the Lion's Lair oh great Empress." The twins said then, bowing low and humbly. Bella snorted which made them grin then.

"Where's Mione?" She asked as Sirius left them alone, heading back downstairs. Jett was given a glance by the boys before he took a chair and sat down in it, watching them. The twins settled back on their bed and Harry took them to the opposite one. He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him, shutting her eyes. She hadn't been sleeping well and her nerves had been shot to hell with worry and nightmares. But now that Harry was holding her, everything seemed to calm down. She relaxed.

"Hermione's out with Neville, helping him with his homework." Fred said with a chuckle.

"Neville's here too?"

"Yeah. Dumbledore says its because Voldemort would know he's Harry's friend but we think he's just wanting to keep an eye on all of us." George replied, smiling as he watched the younger teens cuddle together.

"Or rather as many of us as possible." Fred amended. "He's even invited Krum and Delacour into it, Sirius told us."

Bella scowled then. "Fleur told me as much. Dumbledore needs to butt out. You guys are mine, not his." She blushed then as the boys laughed.

"Of course we are." Fred told her with a wink.

"Wouldn't dream of serving anyone else." George promised.

"You're the only ruler I want." Harry murmured into her ear. She smiled then, still blushing. Looking over at Harry, her smile dimmed. Touching his cheek, she ran a finger under one eye. He looked horrible. Understanding, Harry took her hand in his and squeezed it. "Don't worry, its just nightmares. Snape's been giving me Dreamless Sleep though since he found out. He said it was because he didn't want to get you mad at him if you found out."

Bella smiled more then, hugging Harry closer.

"So Empress-"

"-what's the plan?"

Bella looked at the twins while Harry ran a hand through her hair. "I haven't got one yet. I didn't think I'd get in this easy. Especially when I saw your brother at the door."

"Oh that's Bill." Fred clarified. "He's taking a desk job to help out with the Order. Charlie's still in Romania. Bill's staying here at headquarters so we'll introduce you later."

"So how have the others been?" Harry wondered aloud.

"I made Padma, Vince, Greg, Blaise and Luna come to my house." Bella told them. "Me and Fleur have been sending each other letters. Father is alright now, he's been helping me work on finding Baldur. I've gotten two letters from Krum, just telling me how he's doing. He actually thanked me for getting rid of his element."

"What?"

"Yeah." Bella giggled then. "He said that it felt rather nice not to hear the evil whispers in his sleep. He'd like to come visit me at the manor sometime. Says I'm still his ruler too, if I want him. I've been thinking of inviting him over. He could come in handy. His element might be gone, but he can still remember it."

"Oh it isn't truly gone." Jett spoke up then. He was tipping the chair back, smiling at the ceiling. "It's locked up inside him. Blocked from Krum's will, and therefore unable to be used. It's the same with the Patil girl. They can probably still feel a connection with their elements but they can't use them. Those elements will be theirs until they die. It's how it works Earth Girl."

"And then what?" Harry asked, looking at the boy curiously.

"Then it passes on to the new vessels." Jett said with a smirk. "It always has been like that. It always will be."

"You sound really old." Bella teased then. Jett sat up straight then and his smile was mysterious and sweet all at once.

"Empress...you have no idea." He replied.

That got her clogs ticking in her head but before she could think on it further the door opened and Hermione entered along with Neville.

"Mione!"

"Bella!"

The two girls met halfway in a hug. They pulled away and laughed before Bella turned to hug Neville.

"Neville! How are you?"

"I'm okay. It feels weird being away from Grams." Neville replied with a soft smile.

The Empire stayed in the twins room for a while, just catching up with each other until a knock came at the door. It opened and Mrs. Weasley peeked inside.

"Dinners ready. Come on downstairs."

The others got up but Bella remained on the bed. She wasn't sure if she wanted to face the Weasleys or not. She decided not.

"Bell?" Harry stopped at the doorway.

"You go on. I already ate." She lied with a smile. Harry gave her a look that said he knew it. Before he could begin voicing this, Bella was suddenly yanked off the bed and thrown over Jett's shoulder. "Hey! Put me down!"

"Where's all that courage I saw back in June?" Jett asked as he led the way downstairs. "If you're truly an empress, then face your opposition with a smile on your face." He set her down on her feet just as the door opened and Ron exited his room with Ginny. Harry took her hand then and walked past them, his eyes hard.

Bella leaned into him, sighing. Jett had a point. She was an empress and rulers of every sort had opposition and enemies to face. She straightened herself up and walked through the kitchen door with Harry, her head held high even as several eyes speared her with suspicious looks.

"So what is this place, anyway?" Bella wondered as she sat between Sirius and Harry.

"My family home." Sirius said morosely, showing exactly how much the idea appealed to him.

"Oh, no wonder you look so pissed." Bella giggled when Sirius laughed.

Jett chuckled, shaking his head as he sat across from her. "This place...there are many dead things in it."

Ron choked on his noddles. "What!"

Jett merely nodded, helping himself to the spaghetti.

"Well it has been uninhabited for like a decade." Sirius replied, eyeing the ceiling speculatively. "I'm not that surprised there's dead things here."

"Mainly pests. Decay hangs heavy here." Jett sniffed the air then, causing Ginny, who had settled herself next to him, to shiver a little. "I may known death, but I wouldn't wish to live in this place."

"Yes well, Dumbledore says its for our protection." Harry spit out, only looking back when Mrs. Weasley shot him a scolding look.

"Well, screw Dumbledore." Bella replied, making everyone turn to her. She took a bite and stuck her nose in the air. "He's been telling me to make up with Baldur." She told her empire then. Her Knights all 'oh'ed' in comprehension while the rest of the Weasleys and Sirius looked on curiously.

"Is he mental?" Harry wondered. Bella shrugged, stabbing a meatball.

"He's something." Bella said, eyeing the meatball before sighing and rubbing her forehead. Feeling an arm around her shoulders, she turned to smile at Harry.

"You look tired." He commented. She laughed softly.

"She is working herself to the bone." Jett interrupted whatever denial she was about to give. "Hunting Baldur, training, helping her father and brother add more wards to the Manor."

Harry made a sympathetic noise in the back of his throat while holding Bella closer. "How is Lucius?"

"As well as can be expected, considering the only thing keeping him from getting killed is the blood wards on the manor." Bella said.

Mrs. Weasley's gasp had them all turning to her. "Blood wards! Bella, that's Dark Arts!" She admonished. Bella simply sighed.

"Blood wards are the strongest type, you know that Mrs. Weasley." Bella argued back quietly.

"But they require the use of fresh human blood!"

Bella pulled back her sleeve to show a long bandage, spreading from her wrist to the crease of her elbow. "Yes, and I along with Father and Draco are the only ones donating. We're not bad people you know." She looked away when she heard spluttering and grinned sheepishly as Harry and Sirius both glared at her. "What? I have to protect Father."

"Why don't you just heal it?" Ginny asked hostily.

It was Jett who answered. "The ritual used by the Malfoys is one which requires the use of a ceremonial silver blade. The blade, when used to cut and extract the blood sacrifice, causes the wound to heal slowly and negates any magic used on it. Healing salves speed up the healing but still, the wound takes two to three days to seal."

"So this is recent?" Sirius asked, pulling her bandaged arm to inspect it. Bella yawned and nodded.

"Last night." She informed him. Sirius tsked.

"So, who is this Baldur?" Mrs. Wealsey asked almost casually. Bella refrained from rolling her eyes.

"If Dumbledore hasn't told you about him, then clearly he does not wish me to tell you either." Bella said, eating half her plate before she spoke again. A stony silence went over all of them during that time. It wasn't until she was yawning every other minute that Harry hauled her to her feet.

"Come on, you need to sleep."

"Where?" Bella mumbled as he led her upstairs.

"You can stay with me." Harry told her and Bella smirked a little before letting it fall in favor of yawning again.

The last thing she remembered was her head touching the pillow and blankets being pulled over her before she succumbed to sleep.

* * *

"What we need is to solidfy our base of power." Bella said the next day. She and her Knights were hidden in Sirius's room. She'd thrown up every privacy charm she could think of before beginning to speak.

"How do we do that?" George asked while watching Hermione scribble every word down.

"We need more people of course. An Empire isn't much without subjects." Bella paced a little, rubbing at her arm. The wound had been rebandaged by Sirius and Bella longed for it to heal quickly.

"More Knights?" Neville wondered.

"No." Bella smiled at them. "I don't need Knights, I need followers. People willing to fight but who wouldn't have to. People who believe our ideals and will back them up. Ordinary people."

"Allies and subjects." Hermione said, and Bella turned to her, seeing the girl was having a pensive moment. "We need to find out who the Order and V-Voldemort are contacting and begin contacting them as well." Hermione said after a minute.

Bella nodded. "Draco and Father have been working on finding that out for us. I've already set up a few meetings for later in the year." Bella paused to stare at Jett, who was munching on some jerky. "Hey Death." Jett looked over with a charming smile. "What exactly are you wanting?"

"Wanting?" Jett asked, eyebrow raised.

"For siding with us." Bella clarified. Jett pretended to think about it for a few minutes, letting the tension build. Bella growled her frustration at last, making Jett laugh and reach over to pat her back. She smacked at his hand, eyes narrowed.

"I want the old Era to die." Jett's voice was serious and seemed to echo in the room then. Several of her Knights shivered at the boy's cool tones. "I want Voldemort and Dumbledore's empires to crumble. I want the old ways to die and never return." Jett turned his cool eyes onto Bella. "For whatever reason, destiny has chosen you to make that happen. So in answer to your question..." Jett got up and leaned close to her ear, grinning at Harry who was clenching his hands to his sides. "I'll tell you my price after you win the Wizarding World."

"It's not going to be something I regret, is it?" Bella asked and Jett chuckled but shook his head.

"I doubt you'll regret it." Jett replied. It would have to do for the moment.

"Good. Now then, back to what I was saying before..." The girl stared at the wall for a moment then smiled. "We need to get to the neutrals first. Blaise is helping me find out all the families who were neutral during the first war. But we won't focus on people our parents age. We need to focus on our generation. If we want Voldemort and Dumbledore to lose power, we need to target the younger people."

"Of course." Hermione said then, looking up at her friends. "Dumbledore has had access to generations of wizards. No one ever questioned him because they've all grown up with him."

"Exactly." Bella nodded, eyes flashing. "We need to break into that resource. Start changing minds and diverting the flow. I know just where to start too." They all looked at her and she smiled. "Slytherin of course." Her Knights laughed.

A knock had them scrambling. Hermione made her parchment look like a magazine article. The door opened and Sirius walked in with a chuckle. "Snape's here to take you home Bella."

Bella narrowed her eyes, pouting. "I'm not leaving all of you here."

"Well missy you're going to have to." Sirius replied, merely smirking when Bella let out a curse.

"Malfoy Manor is just as safe as this place." Bella huffed, eyeing the man. "I'm sure you'd enjoy the sunshine."

"Wouldn't I ever." Sirius sighed. "But I have to play nice with Dumbledore." Sirius turned to Harry then with a smile. "That doesn't mean you all have to."

"I doubt we'd make it out the door." Fred grumbled. "With Mum and everyone else breathing down our necks."

"Bella." Severus's voice was even, meaning Bella was in trouble. She smiled though. Being confined to her rooms wouldn't be that big of deal. "Come. Lucius is clawing at the walls." Bella winced then. "Hn. You forgot your father?"

"No!" Bella huffed. "I just didn't think that sleeping draught would wear off before tonight."

Severus lightly flicked her upside the head, making her grin cheekily.

"We'll write." Hermione told her and Bella nodded as she was escorted downstairs by her friends and godfather.

* * *

Bella was indeed grounded for the rest of the summer. It didn't last though and after a week, Lucius deemed she'd learned her lesson. Her arm healed and she gathered in the tea garden, Draco, Blaise, Padma, Luna, Crabbe, and Goyle sitting with her.

"I've got that list. It wasn't hard to charm it out of Mother." Blaise told them, handing a scroll to Draco who unrolled it and began studying the names. "We'd have to meet with most of those families to secure anything from them."

"Not the families, the heirs." Padma replied, drinking her tea and leaning over to read along with Draco. "And I can already tell you that my family is leaning towards Dumbledore. The Livingstones and Hoppers are also supporting Dumbledore."

"The Krestlers, Harmonds, and Fredricksons would support the Dark Lord." Draco murmured, looking up to find Bella staring at a rosebush, her eyes dull. "Bella?"

She nodded to show she was listening. "We'd be silly to try and convert those drawn to Dumbledore. Like Padma said, we'll focus on the heirs. I think we'd have more luck getting whole families from those who are more drawn to Voldemort."

"Why?" Goyle wondered, looking at Bella as well. She was spacing off, for whatever reason, looking a bit worn down.

"We are not a light kingdom. Nor will be completely dark." Bella murmured. "Light and Darkness, meshed together but not mixing. We won't be Gray. We'll be both and neither, all and nothing. An empire that can flex and bend without breaking." She sighed. "I can see it, in my dreams. But the more we plan, the more things I can see going wrong." Bella frowned. "At the moment, it wouldn't take much to crush us. We have to work in secret, or risk being put under a microscope."

"Yes. But what would you suggest? Going around in masks?" Crabbe asked with a chuckle.

"Not exactly." Bella turned to her brother and friends then, eyes glittering. "Do you remember the names we chose when we began this empire? Neville suggested we might need nicknames in order to speak freely without revealing our identities."

"Yes." Draco said as the others nodded. "What are you thinking little sister?"

Bella smiled. It was that dark, beautiful smile that sent shivers up their spines but held them spellbound. "That's how we can begin to make the empire grow. By speaking on behalf of the Empress and the Knights. We can make everyone believe that our side already exists." Bella chuckled then. "I will love to see their faces when I reveal myself as the Empress."

"My lady," Blaise said after a second, "I believe that's one of the greatest plans ever."

They all laughed and Bella settled into the conversation with a lighter heart.

* * *

Lucius smiled at his daughter as she studied the chess board. He had her beaten but she refused to give up just yet.

"So my little Empress," Lucius said as Bella at last gave up and pouted while he waved his wand to reset the pieces. "How does your coup progress?"

"Very little." Bella replied, looking up at her father. Of course he'd been informed of everything since her brush with Baldur's chains. His political mind was an asset that Bella would not squander. "The more we plan, the more things that need to get done, the more I realize I have very little to show for myself. I have nothing with which to boast the power of my empire. In simple terms, we suck."

Lucius chuckled as Bella began the game again. "Then you will need to work on that, more than on anything else at the moment." Lucius told her as he moved a piece. "You have the Elements on your side. Use those."

"But how?" Bella grimaced as her pawn was decimated by her father's knight. "How do I make a big impression, not only on the Light side but also on the Dark? I need to draw from both in order to cripple both."

The game moved on in silence for half an hour until at last Lucius once again defeated his daughter. She stared at the broken pieces litering the board, looking pensive. Lucius didn't reset the board, wondering what she was thinking. at last she reached forward to pick up half of her destroyed king.

"Like this." She said and smiled as she held up the broken king. "Like this. Crippling the black king."

"And how will you achieve that?" Lucius prompted.

Bella stared at the broken pieces for another long measure of time. "By outing him." She said suddenly, smiling a shark's smile at Lucius who was looking at her in amusement. "By forcing him out of hiding." Grinning she stood up, moving over to hug him and kiss his cheek. "Father, I'll need to commission a Portkey." She said then.

* * *

Her skin crawled as she followed Severus into the meeting room along with several other Death Eaters, many who had wands pointed at her. She snorted at them and walked proudly, knowing they wouldn't recognize her. Aside from the mask blocking half her face, she'd dyed her hair blonde and she wore a gown that could probably look natural only in a princess's wardrobe. But it suited her purpose. She only needed to get close enough to activate the Portkey. She only needed to touch a bit of His robes...

"Severus. Who is this?" Voldemort asked, red eyes focusing on Bella. She felt her heart pound in her chest. For a wild second she was certain he knew her. He knew who she was and what she was planning to do. But then she blinked the hysteria away, knowing the mirrored glass in the eyeholes of her mask would keep him from reading her thoughts.

"A young witch who wishes to join your ranks, my lord."

"I have heard rumors of a powerful wizard." Bella said then, her magically disguised voice coming out low and accented. "A wizard that struck fear into the hearts of my parents. I do not wish to fear power, however."

Voldemort motioned her forward and she walked up to the base of the platform where Voldemort sat. She gulped as he rose from his seat and she looked up at him. His hand was coming closer, intending to reach for her mask. Just like she'd thought. He'd probably realized it was the mask keeping him from reading her thoughts.

A little closer, and his finger tugged the mask loose. Bella waited, letting it fall and smirking, her eyes having been turned blue, thanks to a nifty potion Severus had dripped into her eyes before they Apparated here. She felt a presence push against her mind and barely pushed it back, turning her head away. Voldemort grabbed her chin roughly and forced her to face him. Bella smirked then.

"Perfect." She whispered and the Portkey in her hand glowed as it took her and her unsuspecting passenger to the middle of the Minsitry's Atrium. It was the middle of the morning, meaning it was rather packed. For a second Voldemort seemed confused, just as the rest of the people around them. Then someone let out a scream, which was followed by several others. Laughing Bella wrenched away, running over to the fountain and climbing onto it as Voldemort lifted his wand and began shooting curses to try and silence the commotion.

Casting a quick Sonorus, she took a deep breath while Voldemort turned to look at her. "Look here, all of you snivelling idiots!" Bella shouted, and everyone seemed to still. "I, a mere sixteen year old, have brought to you the most feared wizard of all time! Look at him, and tell me that Voldemort does not live!"

All the eyes seemed to turn in unison just as Voldemort sent a Killing Curse directly at her. There were Aurors around who just gaped as Bella dodged the curse, landing in the water.

"Who are you, foolish brat!" Voldemort spat, casting a wide Body-Bind as he stalked towards her. Bella smirked in her borrowed face and dropped a regal curtsy, dodging another killing curse in the same motion.

"I am the Empress, and for now, that's all anyone needs to know." Bella replied, enunciating clearly just as the fireplaces all roared with life. Voldemort howled his rage as Aurors began pouring out along with Fudge. He Disapparated while Fudge and the Aurors ended the body-bind on the people in the Atrium.

"Now you see, Fudge?" Bella asked, still with her voice magically magnified and disguised. Fudge whirled around to look at her, the Aurors too. Bella laughed and tossed her hair, grabbing the second Portkey in her hand and preparing to activate it. "You really are a fool. I don't plan on letting you lead us for much longer."

"What are you on about?" Fudge asked, eyes wildly flickering around the Minsitry, probably waiting for Voldemort to reappear. "Who are you?"

Bella snorted. "Doesn't anyone listen? I'm the Empress, and I will soon be in charge around here." With that she ended the Sonorus and whispered, "Home." She disappeared before Fudge even finished shouting, "Stop her!"

* * *

"What's going on?" Bella asked, making the Order members jump a foot in the air as she entered along with Severus. "Sev'rus? This is a meeting. Why am I here?" She said then, frowning as she spotted Dumbledore eyeing her steadily.

"The headmaster wished me to bring you." Severus said with a slight twitch. After Voldemort had left the Minsitry, Severus and every other Death Eater had been subjected to various painful curses for several minutes. He was still recovering, hours later. Bella had apologized profusely but he'd reminded her he knew it would happen.

"Okay...?" Bella turned to the old man and frowned when she felt a light tapping at her mental barriers. She twisted her head away and glared at the table-top, catching an eyeful of plans she'd study later in a Pensive.

"Bella." She turned back to find Dumbledore had moved so he was right in front of her now. "Someone very powerful managed to get Voldemort into the Ministry. It has already been printed in the Prophet. Several people, including Fudge, witness his arrival there at the hands of a young woman." He tried to enter her mind discreetly again but she shut her eyes and turned her head away, hiding it into Severus's chest. "She called herself the Empress. She was blonde and dressed in rich clothing. Fudge said he felt her power spilling out of her in waves."

"Yes? And?" Bella wondered, looking at the old man's beard.

"And I was wondering if you knew her identity. Is she perhaps one of the Elemental Holders?" Dumbledore questioned.

Bella frowned, looking thoughtful. "The only Elements I know about don't match that description." Bella's eyes widened then. "The only one I haven't met is Life." She whispered, looking up at Dumbledore who's eyes twinkled.

"Life?" He asked, looking shrewd. Bella nodded enthusiastically.

"Jett Olexei is Death. He told me Life and Death are two of the most powerful Elements. She could have been Life..." Bella trailed off as Dumbledore turned to his Order Members.

"Very good Bella. Now then, we will have a new mission to add to our objective to keep Voldemort from power. We will need to find this Empress and discover how powerful she is. We must win her over to our side. Voldemort will no doubt be thinking this himself."

Moody snorted. "What? Why would he ask a girl who outted him to join him?"

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes landed on Bella, who was trying to get a better glimpse of the plans on the table. "Because he will no doubt see the value of such a cunning ally. Bella." She looked up at him, eyebrow cocked. "We will need you to be with us."

"Why me?" Bella wondered, seeing the thought echoed in almost every face.

"You hold a certain sway in the Elemental World." Dumbledore told her with a kind smile. "I am certain that if this young woman turns out to be the element Life, then you will be the one who will persuade her."

Bella let her eyes widen, then she gulped and looked away. "I guess...I don't really have another other choice right?" Bella said then with a faint smile. Dumbledore nodded and pat her head.

"I would ask you also to reconsider your small vendetta with Lance Baldur. See if you cannot call him to our side as well. With the Elements at our side, we can surely defeat Voldemort before he ever has a chance to rise."

Bella frowned but then nodded. "I suppose I may have judged him a little to hastily. I have much to apologize for as well." Dumbledore nodded, looking extremely pleased.

"That is the right way to be thinking. Now you may go and see your friends. I am certain they are waiting eagerly for your report." Bella grinned sheepishly and nodded, running out of the room, the grin sliding from her face as soon as she reached the twins room, where she knew her Knights would be waiting.

Harry pulled her into his arms the second she got inside. "If I ever hear you've gone to see that bastard alone again, I'll turn you into a goldfish." Harry promised making Bella laugh.

"So tell us everything." Hermione begged and Bella settled down to tell them everything she could. She kept out a lot of details though, not certain she trusted the rooms to be free of some sort of spying charms.

Severus said she had to leave a few hours later and Bella promised to write, leaving with Severus with much whining and begging to stay, which he ignored.

It wasn't until they were safely within Malfoy Manor again that Bella broke down and began to laugh. She laughed even as Lucius and Draco greeted her, even as their friends gathered around her at the dinner table.

"That was a little too easy." She said once the laughter calmed down. Her eyes grew hard and the cruel, beautiful smile returned to her lips. "I played them both. How sad."

There were snickers around as the house-elves served dinner and Severus and Lucius both shook their heads.

"Dumbledore always wishes to believe the best in everyone. It will lead to his downfall." Severus said then. Bella nodded, drinking deeply from her goblet.

"Why did you make the Empress older than you?" Crabbe wondered as they ate.

"Because it would serve to further fool them both." Bella explained. "As far as anyone is concerned, they'll focus on finding a sixteen-year-old blonde with great power. Why would they have any reason not to?"

"You're well on your way to becoming a great player." Lucius told his daughter then. Bella smirked and turned to Draco.

"It'll be your turn next big brother." Bella told him and Draco nodded, his mind already full of the second step they would take to begin building up their infamy.

"I can't wait." Draco replied with a smirk. "It sounds like fun."

* * *

_**and that's the beginning of Part Five! Hehe, hope you liked! **_


	41. Time

**My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot, which I hope is good. **

**One reviewer gave me a great idea. Time. I hadn't thought about that becoming an element. Great idea, thank you for suggesting it chiriko1117!**

* * *

**Part Five **

_**Chapter Forty-One: Time**_

"For whatever reason, they're focusing on the Department of Mysteries." Bella murmured, studying her Pensive once more. She and Draco were alone, as rare as that sounded, and working on the next show of force that Draco was plotting. It had to be somewhere very public. Diagon Alley was of course a prime location, but also Hogsmeade. Severus was working on getting them the locations of any raids Voldemort was planning for the future. With his very public outing the fortnight before, Voldemort had come out into the open. Things were getting heavier but the Malfoys were grateful. The heightened awareness would ensure their stunts would be seen and documented.

"We need to figure out what exactly they're focusing in on." Draco replied, checking his attire in the mirror. They were due to take the train back to Hogwarts in an hour. Bella was already dressed. She was sitting on Draco's bed, while her brother finished dressing. Their trunks and owls were awaiting them at King's Cross, having been taken a few minutes ago. Lucius was speaking with Severus downstairs and the two Malfoys were working out the kinks of their latest plot.

"Harry said that he was told it was some kind of weapon. Something Voldemort didn't have before." Bella elaborated. "But what sort of weapon-"

"-would be hidden in the Department of Mysteries?" Draco finished her sentence. Bella looked at his reflection in the mirror and smirked. They were turning into the Weasley twins.

A knock made them turn to the door, to find Lucius smiling at them from the doorway. "Severus is ready to go. He demanded I come and send you downstairs."

Bella and Draco nodded, Bella setting her Pensive on the side table before going to hug her father. He hugged her and Draco in return, holding them for several long seconds.

"Be careful." He murmured into their hair. "The Dark Lord is a cruel individual. He won't hesitate to harm you. Stay within the castle grounds. If you have need to leave them, make sure you are not alone. What you two have undertaken is not a simple matter. You must prepare for a long and gruelling battle if you are truly ready to plunge into this war."

Bella and Draco nodded once more, looking up to Luicus and smiling brightly.

"It's our destiny Father." Draco said rather pompously. "We will not fail."

Lucius chuckled as he stared at them. "I believe... I believe your mothers would be proud." Lucius whispered then. Bella's chest ached as Draco tensed beside her. There was a heavy silence for several long moments, then Lucius gave them each one last hug and sent them on their way, with a faint kiss on each of their foreheads.

* * *

Jett was leaning against the scarlet engine when they arrived. He waved at them, making Draco sigh and Bella roll her eyes.

"Space Twister, Earth Girl." Jett greeted as they approached.

"Death." They greeted in unison. Jett bowed, even as people turned to stare. "What're you doing here?" Bella wondered. She hadn't seen him since the trip to Grimmauld Place.

"Well I can't just leave you both without protection." Jett said as he followed them onto the train. "Especially after that little stunt you pulled." Jett whispered as they searched for their compartment. "Miss Empress."

Bella smirked as they found Harry and the others already gathered together. "Morning everyone." Bella said.

"Good morning indeed." Blaise said as he handed over the Prophet. Jett shut the door, leaning against it and adopting a pose of utter relaxation.

On the front page was a picture of Voldemort and the Empress in the Atrium. Bella saw herself gesturing in the moving photo and Voldemort shouting back. A smirk made its way onto her face at the absolute loathing on Voldemort's face.

"I think you made him more pissed off than I usually do." Harry said as he took the paper. The Knights laughed while the train began its departure.

Jett shut the door with a hard tug, then cast a shimmering shield across the entire compartment. The Knights quieted while Bella turned to him with a cocked eyebrow.

"I was speaking to Life." Jett began, chuckling at how the Knights were immediately alert at those words. "Life witnessed the Dark Lord's outing and will continue to monitor your efforts. If certain standards are met, Life will come to you, Bella Malfoy."

Bella wondered about the mysterious Life then. She'd been wondering about Life a lot more lately. Why out of all the Elements did Life stay away from her?

"Also, Time would like an audience." Jett continued.

"Come again?" Bella replied, blinking out of her thoughts. Jett laughed.

"Did I forget to mention her?" Jett's smirking tone made Bella glare. "I guess I did. Well, she'll come when she's ready. She just told me to give you a heads up."

"Did you say Time?" Hermione gaped, eyes wide. Jett nodded.

"Any more Elements you convinently forgot?" Bella asked with a slight growl in her tone.

Jett pretended to ponder then shook his head. "No. Life, Death, Space, Time, Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, Darkness, and Light. Those are the only Elements I know of. I tend to forget Time though. She's always hopping back and forth through the time-stream it's really no wonder." Jett explained.

"A person who can jump through time." Harry murmured, wide-eyes growing pensive. Jett smiled at him a little before looking at Bella.

"Anyway, I think I'll head to Hogwarts and make sure everything's alright."

"We're hours away though." Padma argued. Jett released the privacy shield he'd cast and slid the door open.

"You're hours away." Jett replied. "I can be there in a minute." And with that he vanished into a cloud of vapor that seeped out through a cracked window. The Knights sat gaping until Neville closed the door.

"So Life and Time will meet with us." Hermione was the first to break the tense air. "But when exactly?"

"I think they will come when the Empress's Prince makes his move." Bella said, turning to look at Draco. Draco smirked and nodded.

"I'll make sure of it." Draco promised.

* * *

Arriving at Hogwarts was pretty uneventful. Bella had half been expecting Voldemort to attack the train. But it seemed Voldemort wasn't willing to come out in the open yet, not without that weapon Harry had mentioned. So until such a time as they acquired the weapon, the rest of the world was safe. That and there was still time to make the Empire grow. Bella wanted a large force created before Voldemort gained a larger following of his own.

"Whoa." Harry said a few mornings later, at breakfast. Several letters were tied to Zephyr and Ptolemy with several more letters being delivered by other owls and stranger birds. "What is all this?"

Bella cast a quick look to see that Ministry witch, Umbridge, staring at them with her buggy eyes and quickly gathered up the letters, stuffing them into her bookbag.

"Later." She said and finished her meal as quickly as possible. Her friends followed after her.

On the third floor Bella paused, touching a wall and getting the stones to rearrange into a secret room. She sealed it off once everyone was inside.

"This is a letter from the Krestler boys." Bella said as she stared at one of the letters she pulled out of her bag.

"Who?" Luna asked, taking the letter and opening it.

"One of the people we contacted over the summer." Bella said to her Knights.

"This is marked with a paw print." Hermione said as she waved another letter.

"And this says its from the Noble House of Ravenhood." Blaise said, grabbing the evenlope with a fancy black wing printed on the front.

"Why are they all contacting you?" Neville asked, taking one and opening it.

"I sent them all a letter before we came here." Bella explained. "I said I was writing on behalf of her Imperial Highness, the Empress. I told them all that the Malfoys had been contacted by her to join her cause, and that it had become my duty to contact others who might be of like mind to join the Empire. I promised them each an audience with the Empress and told them a bit about the Knights and the Empire's plans. Not everything of course, but just enough to get them interested."

Her Knights all turned to look at Bella while she opened the letter with the feather on it. Each was thinking the same thing: Bella was more manipulative than they'd ever thought.

"Of course these all might just be rejections." Bella said as she scanned the letter.

"Or not." Blaise replied, holding out a letter and pointing to the last paragraph.

_For years we have waited patiently for a new force to rise up and oppose the rule of Dumbledore. With the reemergence of the Dark Lord, we felt it was inevitable we return to his side. However, your letter came and offered us a new path. I wish to take an audience with the Empress and her Knights, to assess the power and speak of the terms of alliance your Empress will require. _

"Huh." Bella said, stunned, looking down at the signature with a bit of disbelief. "I figured they were definitely Dark."

"Who?" Harry wondered, taking the letter to look at the signature. "Elliot Nott?"

"Theo's father?" Draco asked, snatching the letter to read through it. He smiled then. "I knew they couldn't be complete fools."

Bella chuckled as the pile of acceptances grew. Only two letters had rejected her invitation. That was alright though. She could handle two out of the fifteen letters she'd gotten.

"We need to make another little show before I send out replies." Bella murmured as they heard the school bells ringing. "Something with some pizzaz."

Draco chuckled as he took his sister's hand, distorting the space around them so that suddenly they were all back in the hallway. "A bit of fire and flare?" He suggested.

"You read my mind." Bella replied and a cruel little smile blossomed into being on Draco's face. He knew exactly what to do then.

* * *

Diagon Alley was filled with people. Even though Voldemort's return was on every news stand there was still a hesitancy to truly believe it. Voldemort himself was keeping on the down low.

Thus it made it a perfect environment for the Prince's debut. Draco chuckled as he checked his mask one last time.

Bella had said to make as much ruckus as possible. The point of this was to get attention and hopefully make the Ministry have a conniption.

Draco had been working on his power all summer long. Being in control of space was one of the greatest powers ever. He could walk on water, on walls, on ceilings, he could move himself from one point to another without magic, he could hide in plain sight, he could change the structure of buildings, he could do virtually anything. He was even more powerful than Bella, and she controlled things of the earth, which was pretty much everything.

He focused then on appearing on top of a cafe table's umbrella, smiling charmingly at the young women who looked up to see what made their table wobble.

"Hello loves." He greeted, disappearing in a blink to end up standing next to one of them. The women jumped then began to giggle. Draco smiled as well, before he disappeared from view, silent as a breeze.

He did this a few more times around the same area, until he had a bit of a crowd going.

"Watch closely now." He told them before disappearing once more. He had a specific destination this time though.

He appeared in the Ministry, sitting himself upon the fountain and waiting patiently for someone to notice him.

Slowly but surely, people did, pointing up at him and muttering. Several officials tried to grab his attention but he ignored them, waiting. A few tried to hex him, but Draco just laughed as he literally waved the spells away, twisting the space around him so that they sailed elsewhere.

After a few minutes of this, with Draco becoming more amused. At last Fudge himself appeared, face splotchy as he spotted the young man on top of the fountain.

"Who are you and what are you doing up there! Get down at once!" Fudge shouted, several Aurors aiming their wands at Draco. Draco chuckled, lifting a hand and forcing the Aurors to fall on their butts. He laughed louder, enjoying the audible gulp that came from Fudge.

"My name is the Prince. The Empress sent me to get something for her." Draco replied, voice disguised with a clever charm. "And basically cause some mischief."

Draco then focused on the fireplaces. He stretched out a hand, choosing three, and then curled his fingers into a fist. The fireplaces pinched shut, Floo Flames spilling out like liquid to burn on the Atrium floor.

He disappeared before the Aurors could Stun him. He ended up standing right next to Fudge, who gave a loud shout as Draco grabbed his neck. The Aurors froze, eyeballs flickering from one to the other.

"The Empress hates how the Ministry works." Draco said to Fudge. "She hates the Ministry in general. She doesn't think much of you either. Stealing from a wealthy and old family like the Malfoys? Tsk, tsk." Fudge's face drained of color at Draco's words. Draco smirked. "Now then...you're corrupt. Weak and corrupt, never a good combination. I would crush you right now...if the Empress didn't tell me to leave you intact for now."

Draco took a step back and lifted his hands, making Fudge rise up from the floor at the same time. Fudge gasped as the air began to vanish from around his head. Draco remembered when he'd exhausted his core, and knew the kind of pressure being exerted on the disgraced wizard hovering about him. He let Fudge down after a minute, making sure the man could breathe before vanishing from his spot to reappear on the fountain.

"You know, after the Empress brought Voldemort in here, I figured you would all up the protection around this place." Draco sighed, shaking his head and tsking again. "Well that is why we're here now. We'll make certain to think more ahead."

"Just what are you two brats on about!" Asked one of the Aurors. Draco saw it was Mad-Eye Moody. Draco passed a hand through his hair, making sure the space around him continually twisted. He thought it must look like he was underwater or something.

"It's simple really. We're tired of the Ministry and we're tired of Dumbledore and we're sick of Voldemort." Draco replied, standing up now and smirking. "We don't need any of you anymore. It's time for everything to change."

A ghostly laughter filled the air then and Draco looked around to find a girl materialize from thin air. She stood beside him, looking glitchy. She was grinning though, her eyes bright.

"Who are you?" Draco wondered, as the girl leaned forward to look at the others.

"We'll get to that later. I figured you might want to finish your little playdate and get going, since old Moldy-Voldy will be here in two minutes." The girl replied. Draco's eyes widened then narrowed and he focused his power on crushing the fountain he stood on, crushing it to a hunk of twisted metal while the girl simply hovered by him, grinning at the people scattering around them. Once the fountain was no more Draco focused on pulling apart the building. It was too easy to focus on a beam, on a weak point, and expand the space in those areas, causing the Atrium to begin to collapse.

"And let's be off!" The girl shouted just as screams began filling the hall. Draco felt himself being squeezed on all side then they were on some roof in Hogsmeade.

Draco shook his head at the sudden Apparition. He scowled as the girl giggled. "I rather like my method of travel."

"Yes I rather like that method too." The girl giggled some more as Draco glared at her. "Oh right, I haven't introduced myself in this timeline." The girl stood up and smiled sweetly. "My name's Emily Keans. But you'll know me better as Time."

Draco's eyes widened as the girl winked and laughed at his gaping mouth.

"It's nice to meet you...again."

* * *

Harry looked over as Draco materialized out of thin air, a girl hanging onto his arm. He and the Knights were pacing, waiting for Draco to return.

"Hey there." Draco greeted upon seeing all the harried faces. "What happened?" He demanded to know, shaking off Emily and glaring at Blaise and Harry.

"I'm guessing I jumped us forward a bit." Emily said, getting the attention shifted to her. Draco turned to her with a glare.

"How long have I been gone?" He asked, turning to the Knights.

"About two hours." Padma replied, eyeing Emily with a grim gaze. "Dumbledore heard about an attack on the Ministry. You-Know-Who showed up after you did. Dumbledore called Bella upstairs to talk about it."

Draco understood the upset faces now.

"Oh that isn't good." Emily stated, shaking her head even as a huge grin split her face.

"And what's amusing about the old coot calling her up?" Draco demanded to know as Emily continued to grin.

Emily snickered. "Let's just say it'll be epic." Emily said.

"Okay, who is she?" Blaise asked Draco, watching the grinning girl the same way one might contemplate an escaped mental patient.

"That would be Time herself." Jett said, appearing out of the shadows and causing them all to jump. Emily was the first one to recover, stalking over to smack Jett on the arm.

"You've done that fifty dozen times over and yet I always jump. You suck, Death." Emily huffed, crossing her arms as Jett laughed and ruffled her chestnut hair.

"It's good to see you Emily." Jett replied, making the girl grin once more. "So what made you show yourself?" He wondered as he tugged on the girl's bangs, making them curtain her eyes. Emily grimaced and smacked his hand away again.

"I was just hopping around when I saw what Draco was up to. If I hadn't shown up at that time, Draco would currently be getting his brains Crucioed out of his ears." Emily made a face at the disgusting mental image. Draco shuddered as well. "Couldn't let that happen, now could I?"

"You tell me. I am not the one privy to the future." Said Jett, eyes twinkling with mirth as he gave Emily a one-armed hug. "So Earth Girl's being interrogated by the old man hmm?"

Emily nodded. "She's not happy about it. We should feel the shift in a few minutes."

"Shift?" Harry asked, looking from Jett to Emily. Emily's smile became a shark's grin of amusement.

"Oh come on now Harry, you ought to know what Bella's temper can- Oh wait no, nevermind. That's later." Emily giggled then at Harry's confused expression.

"Quit teasing the boy like that." Jett chuckled, running his knuckles over Emily's head. She laughed, shaking her head and hitting Jett in the face with her hair.

"You two are certainly friendly." Hermione pointed out. Jett and Emily looked over at her. Emily squealed.

"Hermione!" Emily skipped over and embraced the girl like they were long-lost sisters. "Oh my gosh I forgot your hair does this!" Emily added, pulling on a frizzy curl. "You usually wear it all sleek later on. I should remember to make you let it curl."

"Er...huh?" Was Hermione's response. Emily let her go and clapped in delight. "Umm..."

"Don't worry. You'll understand." Emily promised her. Before another word could be spoken they all were rocked as a huge tremor shook through the castle. Some stone blocks shifted out of the walls and clattered to the floor. Emily laughed once it passed.

"Huh. It seemed less destructive the last three times." She murmured as she looked at a stone block. "Well then, let's go and meet up with her before she shakes Hogwarts more."

Emily led the way through the castle to the third floor, where they ran into Bella, who was stalking down the hall, the walls vibrating as she passed. Her robes flowed in a way reminescent to Severus as she walked towards them.

"Bell." Harry called, walking forward to meet Bella. He took her hands into his own. He gasped as a jolt passed through him, leaving him shivering once it passed. Bella, who had been scowling up a storm, looked terrified now. She'd jerked her hands out of his grasp and cradled them to her chest now. "Whoa..."

"I should have warned you about that." Jett said once they reached the surprised couple. "Sometimes our elements can get the best of us." He added with a wink at Harry. "Don't look so freaked out Earth Girl, it was nothing more than a little zap. Right Chosen One?"

Harry nodded, shaking his head a little as he reached out to grasp Bella's hands once more. "Easy now. What did Dumbledore want?" Harry said soothingly, making Bella relax.

"He was hounding me about needing to contact Baldur." Bella said. "Stupid Voldemort, he has to go and get the balls to attack the Ministry today of all days! Ruins everything, that bastard..."

Emily's giggle made Bella look up. She stared at the girl for a long second before sighing with a defeated smile on her face. "Do I even want to know who you are?"

"You do. Trust me. You and I will be spending lots of time together soon enough." Emily replied, holding out her hand. "Emily Keans, the Holder of Time. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Empress."

Bella smiled more happily then. "Time. I didn't think you'd show up for a while yet." Bella looked around at her friends then back to Emily. "Can you tell me something? Does this whole Empire thing pan out?"

Emily's smile was brilliant. "Oh...you have no idea..." She murmured dreamily. Bella smiled in return.

"Well let's go down to the kitchens." Jett suggested. "The Prince can tell us how everything happened."

Bella nodded, shaking her head as Harry grasped her hand tightly. "You might get zapped again. I'm still not completely alright."

It was Harry's turn to smile. "I'll deal with it if it happens again. I like holding your hand."

Emily's coo made them laugh as they headed down the stairs.

* * *

Later that evening, as students exclaimed over the news in the Prophet and Bella wrote out replies to all the letters she'd recieved, Jett and Emily walked along the grounds.

"So you had to save Space Twister." Jett murmured. "Any particular reason?"

"Without Draco, Bella wouldn't make the Empire as successful as I've seen it can be." Emily replied gently. "Draco will save Harry too, later on."

Jett nodded, pausing at the edge of the woods. A little rabbit was twitching on the ground, shivering as its life ran out. Jett knelt by it and reached out a hand to pet the thing. It quickly stopped twitching and Jett felt something lighter than air slip past him. Emily watched as Jett worked. She shivered. Although Jett was a good guy, that never stopped Emily from remembering all that Jett could do. He could control the dead. He could summon them. He could hurry the dying process. He gained power for every dead thing around him. It was a macabre power for a mortal to have. It wasn't limited to animals or people either. Barren earth, decaying plant life, if there was death, Jett had power over it.

"There must be another reason you have stayed so long."

Emily nodded at Jett's assumption. "I saw I needed to use Harry Potter. Now as opposed to later. It's messier if I use him later." Emily explained.

Jett stared at her for a long time before smirking. "What exactly do you need to use Harry for?"

Emily gave a cattish smirk of her own in return. "The Aku no Hana."

Jett whistled as he watched Emily looking off towards Gryffindor Tower. "The Aku no Hana...I haven't heard about that in ages." Jett looked at Emily with a soft grin. "And how exactly does the Chosen One figure into acquiring the legendary flower?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out along with the rest."

"You enjoy lording it over us don't you?"

"Yup! Every second of it."

* * *

**_And that's a wrap. Oh wow this took forever to update. Hope you liked it! _**


	42. Aku no Hana

**My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot, which I hope is good. **

* * *

**Part Five **

_**Chapter Forty-Two: Aku no Hana**_

Dumbledore accepted Emily Keans into Hogwarts without a fuss. The thought of having yet another Elemental Holder was probably a feather in the old man's cap.

"It ticks me off." Bella grouched, laying on the floor as they all gathered in an empty room.

"What? Umbridge not letting us practice spells?" Padma asked from where she sat eyeballing Emily, who was giggling as she read a magazine in the chair next to Draco.

"No."

"The professors giving you the evil eye?" Harry suggested. That sure ticked him off plenty.

"No, but that is getting annoying."

"Then what?" Goyle wondered.

"Dumbledore." Emily said in a voice that implied the 'duh'.

Bella hissed at the old man's name then sighed as she was given looks by her friends. "Sorry. I just hate being stuck under his thumb all the time. It makes it very hard to have private communications with potential allies when I have to worry about him peeking in on my letters."

"We could just drop out." Blaise suggested then. There was a cheer from nearly everyone.

"Are you mad!" Hermione gasped, jumping to her feet. Emily peered over the top of her magazine with a grin on her lips.

"Great. Another 'Mione lecture." Emily said, halting Hermione's tirade.

The bushy brunette scowled at Emily suddenly, brown eyes narrowed. "I thought Time would be a wonderful Element but I see it just makes its Holder into a big know-it-all!"

There was a moment of incredulous silence before Emily doubled-over laughing, arms hugging herself as she tried not to fall out of the chair. The others began to laugh as well. Even Hermione cracked a grin. The biggest know-it-all in the room was Hermione Jean Granger. Not even Time herself could outsmart Hermione.

"You know us so well." Hermione continued once the giggles died down. "How many times have you met us before?"

Emily held up a hand and began holding up fingers, muttering to herself. "Exactly seven times, if you count the future in which-" Emily halted then, a look of utter pain crossing onto her pretty face. "Sorry, sorry." She said when she caught the sympathetic looks from the girls. "The very first time we all met...most of you died." Emily admitted in a small voice.

The Knights all looked at each other then at Emily who was grinning again.

"Have you ever changed something in Time?" Harry asked then. Emily turned to him and nodded.

"But you're not supposed to do that." Hermione said sternly, making Emily snort.

"And you're not supposed to get elope at eighteen and end up with three kids, but hey it happened." Emily retorted, making Hermione flush a brilliant crimson. Blaise sat up, suddenly very interested in the topic.

"Oh? She did that?" Blaise asked sweetly, making Hermione cover her face with her hands.

"Yes. Twice actually. Once with you." Emily replied. Blaise's cheerful face fell before anger crossed onto it.

"Who did she run away with the other time?" Blaise demanded to know. The others were stiffling their laughter. Blaise could be so jealous sometimes.

Emily put a finger to her temple. "Let's see...in that timeline, Hermione wasn't a Knight. So she ran off with a ginger, um, Weasley! There we go! She went off and married Ron Weasley."

"Weasley?" They all asked, gasped, and gagged. Emily nodded.

"Bear in mind in that timeline she was only friends with Ron Weasley. Harry Potter and Bella Malfoy didn't exist in that reality." Emily explained.

"Why not?" Bella and Harry wondered.

Emily looked at them both with a sad smile. "Because in that reality, Voldemort killed Harry along with his parents. And Bella was taken away by her mother to Mexico. Voldemort took over and the world was soon under his control." Emily shuddered. "You all came together, eventually, but not until you were all graduated from school."

Bella looked up at Harry then, eyes tearing up. Harry smiled at her, putting an arm around her shoulders and holding her tight.

"A world without Harry isn't much of a world." Emily said then, sounding like a proud mother as she grinned at the emerald-eyed boy. "It's an empty world, one full of darkness and sadness."

"So Potter is necessary after all." Draco said then, with a grin instead of a sneer. Harry laughed.

"Most certainly. In every other future, Harry lives and the outcome is usually very good for us." Emily explained.

"I like Time." Crabbe proclaimed as they all heard the lunch bell ring. "It's cool hearing about things we've done in other times."

"Yeah. But I'll tell you more later. Let's get some grub now!" Emily demanded. They all began to gather their things when she added, "I need to talk to Harry and Bella alone for a bit though."

The Knights looked to their Empress who nodded. They filed out, each eager to find out what Emily had to say to Harry and Bella.

Once the door was shut and warded, Emily sighed, sinking down into her seat. "I need to ask a favor of you both. And I need you both to agree to it, no matter what. It's important. I've seen it, been through it numerous times. This is the only way to insure the Empire can crush both Dumbledore and Voldemort."

"Tell us what it is." Bella demanded.

Emily looked at them with a hard glare. "I need you two to break up."

* * *

"That's cruel." Hermione said, whirling around to face Emily who sat on the floor, eyes on the fire dancing before her. "Why do they need to break up?"

"That's something I can only tell Harry." Emily replied, turning to the forlorn looking boy. He was sitting on the floor as well, trying to look angry but failing miserably. "It's important though. Very important."

"It better be." Harry muttered then. "I made Bell cry."

"I made Bella cry Harry, not you." Emily corrected. "It won't be for long Harry, I swear. Just long enough."

"How long is long enough?" Harry demanded.

"Long enough to make a flower grow." Emily replied cryptically. Harry would have demanded a damned good explanation if the portrait hadn't opened then and Lavender Brown entered with Parvati Patil.

"Harry! There you are! What happened! We heard that Bella was crying and you asked for Hermione and Neville and-"

Harry broke into Lavender's long-winded speech with a hard glare at the gossipy girl. "It's over." He said in a very good snarl. "She and I are done."

The gossips gasped, before turning to Hermione. Hermione cast Harry a look and he nodded. He let her come up with the excuse, which was embellished with Neville's help. It sounded very good, Harry figured. They'd broken up because Harry had found Bella was recieveing letters from weird people. He had discovered she was lying to him about certain things. He had felt disgusted with himself for allowing her to drag him into the snake pit, where they laughed and scorned him behind his back. On and on went the list of Bella's supposed infractions until at last Harry stood up and made a shushing motion at Hermione.

"I can't- I can't listen." Harry told her, making the girls coo sympathetically as he stomped up to his dorm room, Neville following silently behind him.

They were alone for the moment, so Harry allowed his true feelings to wash over his face. Neville gave him a sympathetic grimace.

"I feel bad, saying those things." Neville muttered.

"I feel worse, making them believe those things." Harry assurred him.

A knock at the door made Harry's stomach clench but it was only Emily and Hermione who entered. They were all silent for a second until Emily asked Hermione and Neville to leave. When the door clicked shut, she warded it. Harry was uneasy, remembering the last time she'd done that was a few hours ago, when she demanded he give up Bella.

"I'm going to tell you now why you have to hurt Bella." Emily whispered. She held out her hands. "Take my hands. I'll show why Bella can't be with you. Why she'd die if you remained together this year."

Harry eyed her hands furiously for a minute but then took hold of them, shutting his eyes when Emily told him to.

He felt everything around him for a moment, then Emily whispered something and he lost feeling with everything. He couldn't feel Emily's hands, the bed he sat on, the cool air in the room. He couldn't hear anything or see anything but blurs of colors.

"Open your eyes." Emily said then. Harry did so and found himself looking over a room that was dark, filled with row after row of glass orbs that shimmered with what looked like the stuff inside a Pensive. "Over there." She said, pointing at a spot further ahead. Harry went to look.

He saw himself and a few of the Knights. Bella was standing beside him too. There were Death Eaters in front of them.

He watched what happened next. How he instructed everyone to blow up the surrounding Prophecies. He picked up his own and they ran for it. From room to room with Death Eaters following them.

Then they were in a large room with a veil and there were Order members arriving. There was a battle, with spells whizzing everywhere and chaos making him lose track of everyone except himself and Bella.

There was Sirius then, fighting with a woman and Bella was too close, much too close.

Sirius shoved her out of the way. A jet of red light hit him square in the chest. He fell backwards, Bella scrambling to try and stop him as he fell through the veil.

Harry roared and he took off after the witch, who ran, cackling from the room. Bella followed behind him, ignoring the cries of her name.

They were running up, through the Ministry, gaining on the witch. They were in the Atrium them.

Voldemort appeared and Harry shielded Bella, even as she tried to do the same for him.

Dumbledore showed up. They began to duel. Harry was being herded away by a statue.

Bella got free though, began using her powers.

Then, out of nowhere, came a jet of green light. It hit Bella right in the chest. Harry shouted, watching her crumple up on the ground. The wizards stopped dueling as they turned to watch her fall.

Harry watched as he ran forward, kneeling beside her. The ground around her cracked and shuddered as he pulled her into his arms.

A woman, tall and pale as snow, made her way toward him. "The Flower has died." She murmured, taking Bella from Harry. Harry got to his feet, staring at her.

"What?" He asked. The woman held out one hand and showed him a shriveled red and black flower the likes of which he'd never seen.

The vision dissolved and Harry opened his eyes to find himself on the floor, panting. Emily was too, though she'd managed to stay on the bed.

"Bella dies!" Harry gasped when he could. Emily nodded then bowed her head.

"I knew Bella wouldn't see the danger. She'd swear she would be careful, promise to not get in the way. I've seen that event so many times I can recite her speech by memory." Emily began to cry then, making Harry feel his anger at the Time Holder waning. "No matter what she did, she died. Over and over and over again. Whether by a Death Eater or an Order member or even of her own will. She died. And Bella cannot die." Emily gulped. "I told you a world without a Harry Potter is no world at all. But...I've seen you without Bella so many times...and you're not happy without her." Emily gulped again.

Harry was struggling to shake the image of Bella crumpled up on the floor from his head. If he flexed his imagination just a little, he could imagine his mother must have looked like she did. Eyes open but empty. Lips parted. No heartbeat, no spirit. Just a shell. He shuddered to think of Bella like that.

"That woman who took Bella..." Harry said to distract himself.

"That was Life." Emily told him, smiling a little. "Earth is very important to Life."

"She said something about a flower." Harry muttered, shuddering at the images in his head.

Emily nodded. "The flower you saw was a magical one. Rare and powerful. It is called the Aku no Hana." Harry's question must have been obvious for Emily continued on. "The Aku no Hana grows only in one place in the world. On a little island in the dead center of the Pacific Ocean. In the center of that island there is a place called the Garden of Lycoris. That is the only place where the Aku no Hana grow."

"Aku no Hana?" Harry asked then.

"Japanese for Flower of Evil." Emily dried her eyes and pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket. Harry unfolded it and found a page from a textbook, with a picture of the flower he'd seen at the top.

"What kind of flower is it?" Harry wondered.

"The Aku no Hana is a parasitic plant." Emily stated, eyes closed. "None can tame it, except for Life and Earth. It's still immature right now though. You see, the Aku no Hana is directly tied to the Earth Holder. When an Earth Holder dies, the flower dies too. And it won't grow again until a new Earth Holder is born. There are many in the Garden this time. Bella is very powerful, and the flowers show that."

"But why's it so important?"

"It will make Bella powerful."

"She's already powerful."

"The flower will give her the necessary darkness she'll need." Emily frowned. "As we speak, Dumbledore and Baldur are plotting against her."

Harry scowled at the name of the Light Holder. "Why?"

"Baldur is filling Dumbledore's head with the thought that Bella is working for Voldemort. Baldur is Light, who would dare not believe him?" Emily snorted. "I've always hated Light. Every single Holder of it has always let the power go to their heads. Can you believe so many of them went on to become rulers of some sort?"

"Why aren't you telling Bella all this?" Harry wondered then.

"Oh I will. But first, she needs to suffer." Emily's words made Harry hiss angrily at her. She cocked an eyebrow, her lips in a pout. "Don't you dare think I like the idea any more than you do. But if she doesn't suffer, the Aku no Hana will remain immature, and all this work in keeping her from dying at the Minsitry will be worthless."

Harry clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to keep calm. He managed to grit out his next question. "How does a flower give her dark power?"

"I told you the Aku no Hana is a parasite plant right?" Harry nodded. "Once its mature, it can be given to Bella. It will attach itself to her, gathering up the power of all that is dark and malicious. Think of it like a weird form of photosynthesis. the flower takes in all the bad feelings in the world and turns it into magical energy. Corrupted magical energy."

"But if it's all the way in the middle of the Pacific..." Harry said then. Emily smirked suddenly, eyes turning sly.

"That's where you come in Chosen One." She murmured. "When the time is right, I'll come to you. We'll go to the island and you'll pick the flower."

Harry cringed. "You want me to pick the parasite that'll infect Bella with dark power?"

Emily nodded. "You have to. It has to be picked by someone who wants nothing to do with it. Otherwise it will attach itself to the person picking it, making it useless."

"You're right about that. I don't want to do it. I won't." Harry wanted zero to do with this awful-sounding flower that would infect Bella. He wouldn't do it.

"If you don't, then Bella doesn't stand a chance against Dumbledore and Baldur. Do you want to make her go through all this suffering, just to die at the hands of two idiots who'll throw the balance of power off kilter and get us all screwed?"

Harry scowled at the Time Holder, who looked back at him sympathetically. "Why can't Life or Jett or you do it?" Harry wondered then. Emily blushed then.

"I've tried. I've failed." She said shortly. "That power...it's like the world's best drug. You get lost in it...and never want to come out." Emily murmured, shutting her eyes, her face a mask of shame. "You can ignore it though." She said after a minute, looking at Harry with the sort of awe people used to show him. "You won't get dragged into it. It won't do that to you."

"Why? I'm just like you, aren't I?" He wondered.

"No you're not Harry." Emily replied. "The same thing that used to burn Voldemort whenever he touched you...it's that thing that saves you from the lure of the Aku no Hana."

Harry's eyes widened as Emily made her way to the door. "We'll talk more later Harry." She put her hand on the doorknob but didn't turn it. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to make Bella's heart break, Harry. I'm going to have to make her focus on getting power, on attaining allies and creating the Empire I've seen. I have to make her believe that what you and she had was nothing but silly childish affection." When she turned to look at him, Harry felt like he could learn to hate her smirking face. "But it's only for a little while Harry. Just long enough."

"I'm getting sick of hearing that." He informed her. She just smirked wider, revealing teeth.

Then she was gone, the door clicking shut, leaving Harry to wallow in his thoughts and anger.

"A flower that will infect Bella with darkness..." He muttered, one hand covering his eyes. "I don't want to do that to her..."

* * *

Emily sighed as she entered the little bungalow. Island sun shined through the windows, salty breezes ruffled the sheer curtains. She sighed again and sipped her tea.

"I'm sorry Harry. Bella. Really I am. But I'm going to have to hurt you guys a lot for now." Ducking her head, Emily muttered a few choice curses that had her companion tsking at her. "I'm sorry but this really sucks!"

"I know." The woman across from her smiled faintly. "I feel their pain." She added, touching her chest. "It is starting to grow."

In unison the women turned to look out the window, where they could see a circular garden in the distance. Inside the garden were many normal, tropical flowers. Among them though twisted red and black flowers, still only buds. The red was like blood, glistening under the sun. The garden looked like it was bleeding.

"The Aku no Hana have begun to open up." The woman said as she brushed pale bangs from her pale eyes. "Bella's pain will make them mature."

"You know, I understand everything up until the point where we have to infect Bella and make her go Dark." Emily admitted after a while. "I see that it's necessary, my time travel shows me that much, but I still don't get why it works out the way it works out."

"Because she was born from the Aku no Hana."

Emily spit out a bit of her tea. "What!"

Her companion smiled, sighing a little. "Bella was born from the Aku no Hana."

"But- Mireya-! The Malfoy-!"

"Yes, what about them?" The woman asked, smiling as Emily stuttered.

"What do you mean she was born from the Aku no Hana?" Emily asked then, confusion on every inch of her face. She'd never heard this before. "I thought she was like all the rest of us. Human."

"Death and I are not Human." Life said then, her grey eyes sparkling.

"I meant the other of us." Emily murmured, blushing a little as Life giggled.

"She is part human, I guess would be the proper way to say it." Life said then, turning to look at the Garden again. "Mireya Diaz was her mother yes, and Lucius Malfoy was her father, but they made up only part of the girl. Jett and I made up the other half, using the Aku no Hana. We made up her soul, the really important part."

Emily stared at Life, who sat drinking her tea as easily as you please. "Why?" She asked. "How?"

"Jett rules over the dead. I rule over the living. We cannot create life or cause death, we only have power over what is alive and what is dead. What a terribly sad existence, don't you agree?" Life asked then, smiling as she looked back out into the garden. "Such sad power... The one thing we ever could create was the Aku no Hana. Together, with our powers, we brought that flower into being."

Life smiled a little more as she looked back at Emily. "Jett wanted to try creating again. Something just for us, he said. I wanted that too. Because neither of us can die, neither of us can bring life into the world. We've tried. We've wanted to. But we never could..."

"I had the idea of using the Aku no Hana. After all, we created them. Surely we could create something from them. Something as equally beautiful." Life went on, smiling as she looked out another window, at the ocean now.

"So we worked with them. One after another. It didn't work out the way we wanted. But then Jett thought that maybe if what we created was placed inside a vessel of some sort..."

"Mireya Diaz was not long for the world. Yet she carried life within her. I chose her, because I wanted very badly to see what Jett and I could create. I placed a seed from the Aku no Hana into the baby growing inside Mireya. A seed with power from Jett and I. I felt whatever was there before simply leave her little body. The seed melded with her and filled her up. It changed her. She became the Earth Holder then. We sensed it as it happened. It was...beautiful really."

Emily shook her head then. "Amazing. You created an Elemental Holder."

Life grinned then. "Yes we did. A pretty one, might I add."

"So without that seed, would Bella be just a normal girl?" Emily wondered then.

"Yes. She would have been a normal little witch." Life shrugged. "I do not regret what we did. She is ours. Jett's and mine. Our little Flower of Evil." Life giggled as Emily rubbed at her forehead.

"So does Harry really have to pick another flower and give it to Bella?" Emily asked.

"Yes." Life grew serious then. "The seed we implanted in her, there is something wrong with it. Jett sensed it, that night in the graveyard. We've always watched over her, you see. We plan to tell her the whole truth someday. When she was taken to the graveyard, Jett went to make sure she survived."

"Will giving her another flower make her better?"

"We hope so." Life sighed. "We are sure it will. Still, it is troubling that we must cause her more pain."

"More pain means she'll be more open to the darkness when it's presented to her, right?"

"That's right."

Emily slumped in her seat then, grumbling a little. "You and Jett are a real riot sometimes, you know that?"

Life laughed brightly then. "Well what do you expect from such Elements as us?"

Emily smiled then. "Life and Death...it's only ever been you and Jett huh?"

"That's right. We are special that way."

"Well there ever be another Earth Holder then? I mean if Bella's so special an all?"

Life shrugged. "We don't know. We selfishly hope not. Bella is ours. We'd like to keep her with us."

Emily sighed once again. "What about Harry? What makes him so special?"

Life smirked then, an expression Emily was more used to seeing on Jett. "Ah Harry..." Life poured herself more tea. "Now there is a masterpiece."

"Don't tell me you and Jett meddled with him too?"

"Oh no. The only ones who have meddled with Harry's life have been Dumbledore and Voldemort. But can you believe, if even one of those men hadn't, Harry as we know him would cease to exist?"

Emily's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Without Voldemort marking him, Harry would have been an ordinary wizard. Dumbledore might have seen some potential in him, but that would have been much later on. In the reverse, if not for Voldemort's interest in Harry, Dumbledore would not have cared much for the boy. And so, without their knowing it, the two greatest wizards of this age have created their own worst enemy." Life laughed then, shaking her head.

They were quiet for a time, simply letting their thoughts wander. Emily broke it when she asked, "So how much do I have to hurt Bella?"

"You have done enough. Now it is up to me and Jett." Life said, standing up. "Do not worry Emily, all will be explained once Light and Dumbledore are taken care of."

Emily followed Life out of the bungalow and took her hand as they prepared to Apparate. "Why is this so complicated?"

"Because those who hold Elements are bound to have complicated lives." Life replied. "Shall we go?"

* * *

_**And that's the chapter end. Huh, different direction than I expected. Still good. **_


	43. Twisted Existence

**My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot, which I hope is good. **

* * *

**Part Five **

_**Chapter Forty-Three: Twisted Existence**_

Lance sat in his den, staring at the irksome girl before him. The Time Holder loved to irritate him whenever possible. He couldn't retaliate either, because she would simply slow the time field around them and dodge whatever he sent her way. Or reverse it.

He despised Time.

"What can I do for you today? Are you not busy licking the slime off of Death's boots?" Lance asked, scowling as the girl continued to sit with a grin on her face.

"Now now, that's not the way to talk to a lady, is it?" Emily replied, twisting a lock of hair around her finger and grinning. "And here I was, willing to help you. Tsk. Such bad manners for a Light Holder."

Lance felt his eyebrow twitch as he restrained himself from hurling his fist into Emily's nose. "Help me? Now why would you do that?"

Emily sighed then, turning to scowl out the window. Snow was falling here already, making everything seem so pure and silent. It was anything but. Still, Life had told Emily what she needed to do. Jett had promised it wouldn't be permenant but Emily of all of the Holders knew that pain was pain. She, who could control time, who could bend it to her will, could not stop pain. Even if she went back in time, the memory of that pain still lingered.

Bella's pain would linger, even after everything was revealed to her.

"I know you've been talking to Dumbledore recently." Emily said making Lance pause. He speared her through with his light blue eyes. "And I know the conversation that will convince him to help you get rid of your little Earth problems."

Lance frowned. On the one hand, getting rid of Bella Malfoy would please him, on the other, what would Time gain from helping him?

Emily smirked. "Look, Earth is a problem for everyone. I've seen it. Things go screwy with Bella Malfoy in charge." Emily felt cruddy for lying but after so much messing around with the future and past, she'd mastered the art. "So I tell you what Dumbledore needs to hear and you help the world out by getting rid of Earth."

Lance still was uneasy about helping Time but he disliked Bella more. She'd dared to go against him, the strongest of the elements, to use him to bind Water.

He had revenge on the mind.

"Then tell me, what do you gain?"

Emily smiled. "Space. With his sister gone, Draco won't have anything keeping him from remaining in this realm. He can join me. As he should."

Lance scoffed. This was why he was the leader of the Elements. The others were much to selfish to be left on their own.

"I suppose I cannot condone you that." Lance murmured then. "We all long for our other halves. Life and Death. Darkness and Light. Water and Fire. Earth and Wind. Time and Space."

Emily nodded. "It gets lonely when they're gone, doesn't it?" She asked with a grin. Lance scowled once more. Yes it did. He felt like he was missing something with Darkness subdued.

"What words must I use to get Dumbledore to agree?"

* * *

_"You cannot be seen together. You cannot contact each other. You should do your best to act like your relationship is irreparable. You need to, or else people will die needlessly. You have to trust me. It will only be long enough. I swear, I will tell you the second you can get back together." _

Emily's words echoed in Bella's head, making her grimace as she stared ahead of her, ignoring the whispers of the girls she passed.

It was funny how easily the students were decieved, Bella thought as she walked down the stairs to the Great Hall. It had barely been a month since Harry and Bella 'broke-up' and the Gryffindors hailed Harry as they would a returning hero. Hermione and Neville were always with him now. Ron tried but he wasn't making much headway.

Fred and George absolutely refused to go along with the plan, staying on the Slytherins side. Bella had grown frustrated and yelled at them, but they'd only grinned and bowed to the Empress.

September finished and October was nearly over as well.

Bella leaned against the wall, looking out the window. It was cold and gray outside.

"I feel...horrible." She whispered.

"I can imagine."

Bella jumped, looking around to find herself staring at the prettiest woman she'd ever seen. Long white hair, grey eyes that sparkled, pale skin. She seemed to shine with an aura of goodness. Bella stared at her for a long time, her eyes watering the longer she stared.

The woman laughed, reaching up to brush at Bella's bangs. The tears fell then, down Bella's cheeks without her permission. "Hello Bella. My name is Aurora Olexei."

"A... Aurora... Olexei..." Bella repeated as the woman nodded. "Like Jett's last name?"

"Yes." Aurora said, laughing a little. "I am Life." She added then.

Bella's eyes widened comically as she continued to stare at Aurora. "Life! Really? That's amazing!" Bella gasped then. "Er, not to be rude but...what're you doing here? If Dumbledore finds out-"

"I control Life and all who are within that realm are mine to control." Aurora said. "Dumbledore will not know of my visit. I know already that he is not to be trusted in the affairs of the Elements."

Bella grinned then. She was liking Life more by the second.

"Would you walk outside with me?" Aurora asked. Bella nodded, taking her hand and letting the woman led her out of the castle.

They walked out onto the frosty grounds, Bella unable to keep the smile off her face. "I'm sorry." She said when Aurora laughed. "I just can't help but smile around you."

"I have that effect." Aurora replied, patting Bella on the head. Bella grinned more.

"You make me think of my mother." Bella said then and Aurora smiled brightly at her, making Bella's heart squeeze. "Well, the person I thought was my mother." Bella grimaced then. It still bothered her, remembering Mireya and having to remind herself that the woman was actually Angelica Veracruz.

"In spite of everything, she does hold some love for you." Aurora said then, making Bella jump. "Veracruz. There was some love for you in her."

Bella frowned, looking away then. "I loved her too. She was my Mama, in spite of it all. She never really hurt me either. But her lies were just...too much..."

Aurora nodded. "Such pain is hard to forgive and harder to forget." The lady then looked at her closely. "It still hurts, doesn't it?"

Bella grimaced but nodded. "What hurts more is that even after all that, no one can find my mama's remains. Or Aunt Cissa's. They're still lost out there...somewhere."

"I am certain if you asked Jett, he would be willing to help." Aurora replied. Bella stared at her for a second before smacking her hand over her mouth, shaking her head.

"I forgot about that." She admitted. "I've been busy-"

"Busy stirring up rebellion and trying to do what is right." Aurora nodded. "I know." She added with a grin.

They had wandered outside now. They stood by the greenhouses for a moment while the little second-years hurried past, into the warmth of the greenhouses from the bitter autumn cold.

"So, what brings you to me now?" Bella wondered as they kept walking.

Aurora sighed, stopping and standing in front of Bella now, one hand on the girl's shoulder, her other hand petting Bella's hair. "No. What brings me here is the truth. Truth you must know in order to continue on this path."

Bella's heart clenched a little. "Not to be a brat or anything but...do I really need to know what you're going to tell me?" Bella's hand went up to her heart. "I've come to know too many truths over the years."

Aurora nodded, pulling Bella into a hug then.

"Hey there girls." Jett's voice broke the growing tension in Bella. She grinned as Death walked up to them, patting Bella on the head then turning to Life. They didn't touch or get any closer to each other but Bella could sense something going on between them. "What're you doing out here? Earth Girl's got Charms in about ten minutes."

"Jett." Aurora said softly. "It is time."

Jett's eyes widened then he grinned, turning to Bella with a fond look in his eye. "Really now?"

Bella looked between the two of them, her heart thumping. A warning was ringing incessantly in her head but she couldn't just run away. Before her stood the two most powerful Elemental Holders in the world. She couldn't hide from them for long.

"Come with us Earth Girl. We need some privacy." Jett ordered then. Bella stood still for a moment, biting her lip. She turned to look up at the castle, wishing with all her heart that Harry was with her.

But they couldn't be together. Not for now. Until Emily said so.

Sighing she followed Jett and Aurora towards the Whomping Willow. "The Shrieking Shack?" She asked as Aurora lifted a hand and one of the willow's vine-like branches reached up to touch it.

"Yes."

* * *

"Death and Life cannot create anything together." Jett began, looking over at Aurora with an apologetic smile. Aurora smiled in return, shaking her head. Bella sat across from them, on the ruined bed where once Professor Lupin would spend his full moon nights alone.

"We have been together for a very long time." Aurora murmured, still smiling. "As the opposite of each other, we fit together quite well. I am certain if Wind were male, you would have chosen him over Harry. It is how it happens sometimes. Opposites attract."

Bella smirked then, shaking her head. She didn't say anything though. Talking about Harry made her sad.

"We wanted something of our very own." Jett said then, winking at Bella. "To create something together. We loved each other enough. Surely we could make something that would show that."

"So we began to try. And try. What we first created was a flower. A powerful flower, known at the Aku no Hana." Aurora smiled brilliantly then. "A flower that takes in evil as other plants take in sunlight. It turns it into strength and the flowers are most poisonous because of it. But it was a beautiful creation. We loved it. To have created something together."

Bella smiled then, knowing what Aurora was feeling. She had felt the same thing when she was with Harry.

"After a few centuries more though, we began to feel lonely. The other Elemental Holders are all mortal. Even Time." Jett explained. "There have been three others before Emily."

Now that Bella hadn't known. "You guys are immortal?" She asked in a whisper, looking from Life to Death.

"Yes." Aurora smiled. "Since the dawn of mankind, we have always been. Jett and I have walked this earth for a long time. We know most of its secrets and most of mankind's history."

"But even after so much time together, we were still unused to the loneliness. We had each other, but everywhere we looked people were creating others like them." Jett shrugged, frowning at the floor. "We still couldn't understand why we couldn't as well."

"So like before we tried. Tried for endless years. Until at last we found that we could infuse one of our Aku no Hana with our essence." Aurora reached forward to cup Bella's face.

"We took that seedling, and found a baby. We used our powers and manipulated it into the baby's body." Jett whispered.

"That baby was you Bella." Aurora whispered.

Bella's gasp was loud and sharp. She jumped back from Life's hand, staring between Life and Death. "B-b-but I'm human!" Bella said then.

"Yes. And yes, you are the daughter of Lucius Malfoy and Mireya Diaz. Mireya Diaz gave birth to you." Aurora held her hands up in a calming gesture. "But your soul, your essence and your power comes from us."

"How?" Bella demanded to know.

Jett stood up then, walking over to grab Bella's hands. "We just told you. We took the Aku no Hana seedling we had infused with our essence and put it into your body. It melded with your spirit. See, your mother could manipulate metal couldn't she? Silver?" Bella nodded. "That is because she is an Incomplete Holder. Many of those are born in between the time it takes for the power to pass on from Holder to Holder. Metal is of the earth, is it not?" Bella nodded again, not sure what to say. "But Mireya could not make the earth work for her as you can. She could not do half the things you could, because the power was incomplete inside her."

"When we put the Aku no Hana seedling into you, we did not forsee that by adding that, you would become the next Earth Holder. Imagine our surprise when we realized it." Aurora laughed sweetly, moving to sit beside Bella now. "We set out to create a child with our essence, and we did, in the same move making the next Earth Holder."

"So I am human?" Bella wondered, getting confused now.

"In many ways yes. But in others, you are like us." Jett told her. "Because you have the blood of Diaz and Malfoy, but the esscence of Aurora and me."

"Immortal and yet not. Living and yet not." Aurora pet her hair. "Because of our meddling you are more than you should have been. You are both theirs and ours."

"When you say living and yet not...?" Bella questioned then, brow creasing as she looked up at Life and Death.

Jett and Aurora shared a long look before Aurora stood up and moved back. Jett summoned a scythe then, a tall black staff with a wicked looking curved blade that shined red as he held it up. Bella couldn't move as it swung down...

Swung down and right through her. There was a line of crimson on her body but before she could realize what it was, the house shook and a cloud of dirt circled around her, yellowish light running along the crimson line.

When the light vanished, Bella reached down to touch along the line. Her robes were sliced but there was no blood, no injury.

"Your Element will heal you from dying." Jett explained as he vanished his scythe. "Something you no doubt picked up from Aurora's essence."

"I can heal the living, so long as they are still hanging on to life." Aurora stated. "But the reverse is also true. If you were to be killed, so long as you were not too far dead, your element would revive you."

"Because I'm immortal and yet not." Bella intoned. Jett and Aurora nodded. "I don't understand. What am I? In plain english?"

"Truthfully?" Aurora asked. Bella nodded. Truth sucked but she would rather the truth than lies. "You are a twisted existence."

"Twisted?"

"Mortals are supposed to be able to die." Jett sat next to her now. "Mortals wouldn't have survived a slicing from that scythe. But you did. Because of the seedling we placed inside you, you are able to survive what you should not."

Bella bowed her head. "Twisted existence." She repeated, eyes stinging.

"You were not meant to be, if we are honest with ourselves." Aurora told her then, petting her hair. "You were meant to be another little mortal witchling. A simple little creature. We made you more than that."

"So I'm your daughter and the daughter of Mireya and Lucius? I'm still Draco's sister? Just different?"

"Yes."

Bella nodded, standing up then. "Can I go back to school now? I want to think about this. I want to talk to Draco."

Aurora and Jett stood up as well. "Of course darling." Aurora smiled as she brushed Bella's bangs to the side.

On the way back to school Bella didn't speak a word. She walked between Life and Death, thinking on everything Life had revealed to her. She had to talk to Draco. Draco was the only confidant she had left. She couldn't tell Harry-

_"We care about you too you know. You can tell us anything and we'll understand. I promise we will." _

_"Okay. I'll try to remember that the next time there's a violent shift in my universe."_

_"I doubt there will be anymore violent shifts Bell. __I think there's a limit of one per person."_

Bella stopped, turning to look at the two immortal elements. "Why can't I and Harry be together?" She asked, wishing she could run to find him and just hide her face in his chest.

"Because if you were to be together, Harry would die for you. And Harry must not die." Jett told her, ruffling her hair a bit.

Bella gulped. Now that was a reason she could handle. She didn't want Harry to die.

"Jett?" She asked as she climbed up the stairs to the front entrance.

"Yes Earth Girl?"

"Can you find Aunt Cissa and Mama for me and Draco?" Bella asked.

"Of course kid."

With that promise Bella hurried inside.

Aurora and Jett stood in the entrance hall, ignored by the others as Aurora manipulated the children into ignoring them.

"That was a pain." Jett told her.

"Yes. But it is necessary." Aurora sighed, looking forlorn as Bella disappeared down into the dungeons.

"I feel like I'm one of those executioners with the black hoods on." Jett grumbled.

Aurora took his hand and snuggled into his side. "We ought to have intervened before."

"Emily said not to. She showed us how that turned out."

"Yes. I know. Still, perhaps that would have been better."

* * *

"A violent shift in my universe." Bella muttered as she stared at her brother. "A twisted existence."

Draco shook his head, hugging Bella as he scowled at the wall. "And I thought Potter's luck was horrid."

Bella let out a single chuckle, shuddering as she felt cold again. "I'm still me. Still your sister, still Father's daughter, still Mireya's child. But I'm not really human. They messed me up." Bella sniffed, shaking her head. "Why couldn't they have picked another girl to mess with?"

Draco shrugged, keeping Bella in his arms. She wasn't well. He doubted she would be. This was just like learning that their mothers were really imposters. Just like that.

"It's like the universe is trying to cause you pain." Draco muttered.

"I know, right?" Bella gave another forced laugh. "It was such an odd feeling Draco." She whispered then. "Getting sliced in half and not feeling a thing. There was blood but then the earth just came up and healed me. Like when we exhausted our cores."

"And they put a flower into you?" Draco found that fact the hardest to swallow.

"Yes. At least that's how I understood it. They put a flower they'd filled with their essence into me. It mixed with my soul. I guess it could happen, since its a magical flower."

Draco sighed, pulling away from Bella at last. "You're icy." He muttered then, taking off his cloak and putting it on over Bella's own. "Why're you so cold? Come on, let's get you inside the common room."

Bella let him lead her. She was just too tired to really feel anything other than numb at the moment.

She couldn't be with Harry because if she and he were together, Harry would die.

She wasn't just Mireya and Lucius's daughter but also the daughter of Life and Death.

A twisted existence.

Her heart ached as Draco sat her down in front of the fire and ordered someone to bring some tea over to them. She just shut her eyes.

Her heart really hurt right now.

* * *

"Neither alive nor dead. A twisted existence." Dumbledore repeated as he drank tea in Lance's parlor. "Created by the powers of Life and Death."

"That is what I have learned." Lance replied, looking into the man's blue eyes with a grimace. "To think Life and Death would create such a being. One who cannot die, yet has a beating heart. Created from a flower whose sole purpose is to metabolize evil."

Dumbledore nodded, looking as equally disturbed. "That poor child. To think how so many forces have meddled in her life."

Lance nodded solemnly. "Such a child is bound to become dangerous. Think about it. The flower they used as her core is a flower that breeds on malignant energies. Surely it will eventually corrupt the girl. Or perhaps it has already begun to corrupt her. To turn her away from the light. To turn her into a rebellious, dark witch." Lance watched Dumbledore's eyes widen the slightest bit then narrow just as little. It was enough of a sign to show he was believing the words Lance spoke. Of course he would though. Why would the icon of light ever doubt what the Light Holder was saying?

"There have been some disturbing changes in Bella Malfoy as of late. She is becoming rebellious. Severus is not even privy to her thoughts anymore. There is also that little group she has created and drawn so many into."

"Luckily the Potter lad has seen the error of associating with such a girl." Lance said then, enjoying the news Dumbledore had brought about Bella and Potter splitting up.

"Yes. Luckily. Harry must not be touched by darkness." Dumbledore agreed, setting his teacup down. "Bella cannot be made to disappear suddenly though."

"Which is why I ask that you allow me to provoke her. To prove the darkness in her is greater than the light. Then you would have every right to send her away from your hallowed halls. We could ensure another creature like Voldemort is never created."

Lance knew that argument had cinched it. Dumbledore always felt guilty about Riddle becoming Voldemort. The old man had always felt he might have prevented Riddle from becoming such an evil wizard if he'd only tried harder. Emily had promised those words would convince Dumbledore the most. He would not wish to repeat the same mistake twice.

"What would you need me to do?" Dumbledore asked Lance then.

"I would need you to separate Bella from all the others. From everyone. Have her get a detention, have her serve it out in the woods. I will take it from there."

Dumbledore nodded, still looking a bit stricken. "I will inform you when that occurs. Good day to you Lance."

"Good day sir." Lance said as Dumbledore Apparated out of the room. He sat back and smirked.

Finally everything was going the way it should. Light should always win, Darkness should always lose. That was just the way it ought to be.

* * *

_**End chappy. Hehe I used the holidays to plan ahead a bit. Can you tell? **_


	44. Torture

**My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot, which I hope is good. **

* * *

**Part Five **

_**Chapter Forty-Four: Torture**_

_Twisted. I am a twisted existence. Born from humans with the power of immortals. I have control over Earth. I have an Empire at my side. I have power. _

_But really what does any of that mean? _

_I'm still Bella Malfoy, but now I'm not anything alive. Not anything dead either. _

_I can't die. _

_I have what Voldemort wants. Tch. Figures. _

Bella knew she'd probably get a scolding from Severus for skipping her classes for the past two days, but she just couldn't find it in her to care. She was still messed up from the conversation with Life and Death. If she focused enough on that day she could still feel the slide of metal through her body.

Shuddering, she hugged herself. A faint line had been visible on her body for the rest of that day and well into the next. It had faded now but she could still feel that moment.

Her head was too full. Her heart as well. It might just burst at this rate.

"Bella!" Emily called, waving a hand. Bella looked at her then narrowed her eyes, turning and running away. Emily watched her go with the smile fading from her face. "Bella..."

* * *

Harry could see it. Something was bothering Bella. She ate little at mealtimes, she hadn't attended any of her classes in the past week, Draco had the Slytherin Knights constantly keeping an eye on her. She herself didn't seem to realize anything was going on around her.

"Something's wrong with her." Harry whispered to Hermione who was sitting next to him at dinner. Neville was on his other side. Ron and Ginny were across from them, catching about Quidditch and acting like the past year hadn't happened. Harry tuned them out, not caring if he was supposed to be pretending to dislike Bella at the moment.

"She hasn't been well." Hermione agreed. "I'll try to find out something." She added then.

Harry nodded his thanks, grimacing as Ron tugged on his sleeve. "Oi mate, what're you whispering about?"

"None of your business Weasley." Harry huffed, getting up from the table and leaving the Great Hall. He saw from the corner of his eye that Emily followed him but ignored her too. In his head, this was all her fault.

_She'd die if you remained together this year._

That had Harry flinching. If he had kept Bella, been selfish, she would have died at that battle he saw at the Ministry. He wondered why they were in the Ministry anyway. Emily said it was important though, that Harry would have to go to the Ministry.

"You need something to take your mind off things." Emily said, making Harry spare her a scowl. "Why not start a defense club?"

"Why would I do that?"

"To take your mind off the pain." Emily suggested. Harry would have shouted at her to leave him alone. "You will need to be at your best if you wish to reunite with Bella someday."

Harry glared at her but her words were making him remember who he was. He was the Imperial Knight, always at Bella's side, to protect her, rescue her if necessary. He had duties because in spite of it all he was a Knight.

"There is still a Dark Lord you will need to defeat." Emily reminded him. "He is strong Harry. Almost impossibly so. But you can do it. You need to train though. Quidditch reflexes only take you so far."

Harry bowed his head, having forgotten about the Dark Lord in his current mood. Emily was right though. Before he could even contemplate anything else, he had to remember he was the one Voldemort was after. He had to fight Voldemort someday.

Hermione and Neville found him then, staring at him wonderingly. Harry just smiled tiredly.

"Emily just gave me an idea." He said to them as they began walking up to Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

"Earth Girl." Jett called, making Bella jump a foot before she scowled then pouted. Jett just walked up to her as they made their way to Care of Magical Creatures. Draco and the Slytherin Knights all sent Jett unhappy glowering looks, which made Jett smirk. "A little birdy told me you skipped an entire week of school."

Bella shrugged. She'd been going to all her classes that day, and had promised to make up her missed work by Friday. The professors had all tried to get the reason for her sudden bout of hooky but she'd just smiled and promised it wouldn't happen again.

It was hard, trying to act normal. Severus had finally been told. He'd been in shock. Bella had asked him to tell Lucius, since she wasn't sure she could have that conversation with her Father. How to tell the man that she was and yet wasn't his daughter? She would have broken down before the words could have been said.

"You have a Hogsmeade trip this weekend, don't you?" Jett asked then, ignoring the pointed look Grubbly-Plank gave him. She began her lesson with a huff.

"Yes." Bella replied, turning to look up at him. He smiled and pat her hair into place, making Draco step between them.

"Is there something you need, Olexei?" He wondered, knowing they were being watched.

"I found them." Jett murmured then. Draco and Bella froze then turned to each other.

"Take me to her." Bella said then, grabbing onto his arm tightly. "Take me now."

Jett sighed, patting her head. "I'll take you this weekend."

Bella glared at Jett then, remembering the feeling of the scythe cutting through her. He would not be allowed to make her wait a week to see her mother. He would do it now. He owed her that. In a low, furious whisper she said, "You'll take me now." The ground rumbled and the students all looked around, wondering if there was an earthquake happening. Jett saw the fire in Bella's gaze. The girl was angry. Angry Elemental Holders caused lots of conspicuous damage.

"After class." He promised then.

Bella was twitching throughout the rest of class, not hearing a word the professor was saying. She felt Harry watching but didn't spare him a glance as she and Draco followed Jett towards the forest. "Hold onto my arm." Jett told them. They did so and they Apparated away from the grounds.

They reappeared on a cliff, the bitter autumn wind biting as it mixed with the salty sea spray. Draco and Bella saw that on the cliff were two covered mounds.

"I had to retrieve them from the sea bed." Jett said quietly. "Narcissa's on the left, Mireya's on the right."

Bella couldn't move. Draco went to his mother's side, looking down at the white sheet covering her body. "You don't want to look." Jett warned him as Draco made to move the sheet. Draco paid heed, hand trembling.

"I thought Mama would be in Godric's Hollow." Bella murmured as she stared at the white-covered body.

"She was." Emily said, appearing out of thin air. "But then she was moved, just to be safe. Thousands of souls have been lost to the sea, never to be retrieved. The imposters counted on that."

Draco moved back to Bella's side.

"Would you like to see?" Emily asked then, kneeling in front of them. Both teens looked into her serious face, neither knowing what to say. "I can show you...their last day..."

Draco shook his head, not certain he could handle seeing his mother actually die. Bella shook her head as well. Her heart was already hurting, aching. Her feet longed to run away. She'd know her mother was dead, long gone from the world, but she'd never expected it to hit her so fiercely as it did then.

Emily shared a look with Bella, before her hand whipped out and grasped Bella's. Bella tried to pull away but Emily was already diving back into the time stream, pulling Bella's mind along with her.

In the blink of an eye they were standing in the middle of a graveyard, with autumn leaves fluttering in a chilly November wind. Bella choked at the sight of a young woman, with almond brown eyes, with dark hair, with a look of utter mourning on her face.

"I'll keep an eye on him." Mireya said then, looking at a ring in her palm. Bella recognized it as the ring the imposter-Mireya had given to Harry. James's ring. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he knows you."

"You!" The word echoed around the graveyard and Mireya whirled around, wand out to point it into the face of the crazed-looking Bellatrix Lestrange. A darkly beautiful woman, with a snarl twisting her lips and her dark eyes narrowed in fury. Bellatrix lifted her wand and pointed it right between Mireya's eyes. "You! He's gone because of you! How dare you betray him!"

Mireya took a step back, hand clenched around the ring. "Who are you? What're you talking about? Leave at once!"

Bellatrix laughed, shaking her head and shooting off a hex. Mireya yelped as her left side erupted in a rash-like substance. She hissed in pain but shot off a curse of her own.

"No, no, no! I don't want to see!" Bella begged as the duel manifested before her. Lights flashed and bangs echoed and then, Bellatrix cried out, "Avada Kedavra!"

Mireya didn't even have time to blink as she was hit with the jet of deadly green light. Her body seized up then fell, onto the ground without a sound.

Bella screamed. She screamed even as her mind was returned to the present.

"She said she didn't want to see!" Draco shouted, making the space twist around Emily. Emily gasped as all the air leaked out from around her, her hands reaching up to her throat. Draco held it until Jett shouted at him to stop. Emily dropped then as Draco helped Bella to her feet. "What're you trying to do? Make her insane!"

"Come on, let's get you home." Jett muttered then. "Emily, take care of them." He added, motioning to the sheet-covered women. Emily nodded, sending an apologetic look at Draco. Draco scowled at her, holding Bella tighter.

She could feel Draco's arms around her, hear him shouting at Emily and Jett. She felt the yank of Apparition as Jett took them back to school. But it was all on the outside of her.

Bella shut her eyes as her heart gave another painful lurch.

* * *

Deep in the forest, Jett watched Aurora healed Emily from the damage Draco had left. Night had fallen and all was deathly quiet. Jett had ensured Mireya and Narcissa's bodies were delivered to Lucius Malfoy. Lucius had been devastated when he'd learned of where his wife and lover had ended up. He was planning on having them buried on the manor grounds though.

The Death Holder had felt relief from the remains as the two women were delivered to Lucius. Their spirits were at peace at last. He would make sure they were well at rest once they were properly buried.

"Her heart is opening more to the darkness. The Aku no Hana in her is gathering it." Aurora said as she held her hands over Emily's throat.

"How much more does it have to go?" Emily wondered.

"Not much now." Aurora let her hands fall to her lap, patting Emily's head. "Better?"

Emily nodded, rubbing at her throat. "Draco was super pissed off. I wonder if he'll ever forgive me for it. Once we can explain."

Aurora shrugged. "I do not know. I can read human hearts, but I cannot predict them."

The Time Holder nodded. "I felt a little sick, making her see that."

Aurora nodded. "You are human, of course you would."

Emily grimaced. "Bella's human too you know."

"I am well aware of that."

Jett looked over at Emily then. "Will she be able to recover, once we've broken her little heart into kibble?" He bowed his head, looking at Aurora who was looking worried for the first time in a while. "We could end up breaking her too much."

Emily shook her head. "Bella will recover. Harry will see to that. The Empire will flourish under her reign."

The Elemental Holders all turned to the castle as one, each praying silently that that was really the case.

* * *

"I'm afraid you cannot escape unpunished." Dumbledore was saying as he spoke to the Malfoys in his office. "Bella, you skipped a week of classes, and today you and Draco disappeared without word or warning. This cannot and will not be condoned. Draco, tonight you will serve detention with Professor Umbridge. Bella, you will be joining Filch in the forest, collecting some of Severus's potions ingredients."

Bella nodded. It didn't really matter what they made her do at the moment. She had had enough out of life at the moment.

Draco watched her worriedly as they descended the stairs. He was beyond worried. He was nearly sick with it.

"What are they trying to do to you Bella?" Draco asked his sister then, pulling her into his arms and holding her as she simply stared out unseeingly at the wall. "It's like they're trying to make you crazy."

"I don't know." Bella admitted. She hated the feeling of being weak, of being hurt time after time. "I blame Emily though." She said then, thinking that if not for the appearance of the Time Holder, her life would be wonderful. Peaceful. She'd be plotting how to form an empire with all her Knights, with her boyfriend and friends. Instead she was being forced to endure blow after blow to her heart.

She wasn't sure how much more she could take.

"I'll take care of you Bella." Draco promised his sister. Bella was comforted then by the fact that no matter the situation, Draco would always stay by her side. He would always do what was best for her. He wouldn't hurt her or cause her pain.

"Thanks Draco." Bella murmured, sighing into his shoulder as he led the way to the Slytherin common room. Their detentions would start in three hours. Draco needed to plan and quickly.

Once he had seen too it that Bella was safe in her room, he called to the Knights.

"I don't know what Life, Death, and Time are doing." Draco told them, pacing in front of them with his lips set in a scowl. "I just know that ever since they showed up, ours lives had been in turmoil. Everytime Bella's alone with any of those three, they send her back to us looking like death warmed over. They're twisting her spirit in their hands. For what reason, I don't know. I can tell you this though, I'm not standing for it. I won't let them hurt my sister anymore."

"Hear, hear." Blaise agreed. Crabbe and Goyle grunted in unison.

"Dumbledore gave us detention for leaving the grounds without permission. I have it with Umbridge, Bella has it with Filch in the forest. I need you three to watch out for her okay? Use Disillusionment Charms, the idiot Squib won't notice. Keep an eye on her all the time. Don't let those three get anywhere near her."

Blaise stood up then, looking over at the bed where Bella lay. She looked like she was sleeping but the twitch of her fingers and her too-fast breath gave her away.

"We swear, we will protect our Empress from further harm." Blaise replied gravely. Crabbe and Goyle agreed, their scowling faces making them look very thugish indeed.

Draco nodded, hoping it would be enough.

* * *

It was colder than it looked, but Bella grit her teeth and didn't complain. Filch muttered in front of her, grumbling about being worked like a house-elf and having to babysit naughty brats.

"What are we looking for?" Bella demanded to know. She was less numb now and more irritated. She'd show those three who exactly they were messing with the next time they apppeared to her.

"I don't know." Filch snapped at her. "The Headmaster told me to deliver you to the farther glade and you'd know what to pick then."

Bella grimaced. What the heck? Still, she had no desire to get into an argument with an already ticked-off Filch.

Filch led her deep into the woods, making Bella remember another trip into the forest. Hagrid had been there though. She wished the gentle giant were there now. She could have used his kind strength.

"Here. Now start picking." Filch said after a while. Bella looked around, frowning as all she saw was a glade full of briar and weeds. Nothing of use could be found her.

"I think you've brought me to the wrong...one..." Bella trailed off as Filch's face bubbled and trembled. She took a step back as Filch's ugly mug became a handsome face with light blue eyes framed in golden hair. "Baldur..." Bella trembled a bit as she took another few steps away.

Lance laughed softly as the last of the Polyjuice left him and he was once more himself. In his hands sparked to life a long whip of sizzling lightning. "Hello Bella dear. I believe you and I have some unfinished business."

Bella gulped, clenching her hands and pulling strength as she felt the earth shifting around her. "I do believe you're right." Bella agreed.

They began to circle each other, slowly, carefully, neither letting their eyes leave the gaze of the other. Bella knew she was in some very deep trouble at the moment. She was sure she could hold Light off...but she had a limit. Two-hours to be exact. On a good day. Right now, with her emotions in chaos, she wasn't sure she'd last half and hour.

Yes, she was in deep shite.

"Now then little Earth child, you have been working against the noble work of the Light." Lance said as he took a step toward her. "Plotting and planning." Lance sneered at her then. "You're not even alive. A twisted existence, born out of a flower that thrives on evil."

Bella gasped, wondering how he'd known that. Who had told him that?

"You are unnecessary now. I thought you could be of use to me, but if you're going to continue causing trouble, then I have no choice but to bind you."

"You can't bind me without the power of the other Elements." Bella argued. Lance chuckled, making the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

"True, and they will not aid me." Lance agreed. "I suppose I'll have to settle for destroying your magical core then."

Wide mercury eyes locked onto the lightning whip as Lance raised his arm. She raised her own arms, creating a wall as Lance brought down the whip. It crackled and spit, a resounding smack echoing around the clearing.

_Life, Death, Time. They've gotten me into this mess. I just know it. _Bella thought as she prepared for the next strike. _But I won't go down easy. I won't! _

As Lance prepared another swing, Bella threw her arms out and hit Lance with an avalanche of dirt. He let out a shout as he used his powers to form a dome, shielding himself from the tidal wave. Once it ended, Lance laughed loudly, the sound ringing all around Bella.

"Bella! Run!" Blaise called, cancelling the charm. Goyle and Crabbe did so as well. They began aiming spells at Lance while Bella ran over to them.

"Darn it, you're supposed to run! You're only Knights!" Bella shouted at them. "So get going!"

"Nothing doing." Goyle replied, launching a blasting hex at Lance, who reflected it with a shield of light. They all dropped down, hearing the hex connect with a tree and blast it apart.

"Stupid Knights! Listen to your empress!" Bella cried out, bringing the earth around them in a tornado as Lance began lashing out against them. "You're useless to me right now! Go and get Draco!"

"No!" The three boys shouted. The earth trembled underfoot then. All four gasped, looking down in time to see lightning bolts explode from beneath. Bella cried out as the light seared her skin, leaving behind a red mark and the smell of burnt wood. The power of light was too much for the boys. They were on the ground, unconscious, lightning crackling around them. Lance summoned their wands and pocketed them with another round of laughter. Bella shuddered against the shock of the lightning burn.

"Now I'm really pissed off." Bella told Lance, holding her arms out. Boulders rolled into the clearing then, standing ready to become weapons.

"Good! Let us dance Earth!" Lance called out and the fight began in earnest.

* * *

The door to Umbridge's classroom flew open, slamming against the wall. Both teacher and student looked up to find Luna standing there, eyes stricken.

"Draco!" Luna called, shuddering. "Bella is in trouble!"

"Miss Lovegood!" Umbridge began to say but neither Draco nor Luna paid her any attention.

"What is it?" Draco asked as he ran to the door, taking Luna's hand and racing down the hall.

"Baldur! The wind woke me up! They're fighting in the forest!"

Draco grasped Luna's hand tightly. "Take a deep breath." He warned her before opening a rift in the middle of the hallway. He jumped in, pulling Luna through. The rift shut but another opened, depositing them on the edge of the clearing where Blaise, Goyle and Crabbe lay. Bella was fending off Lance's light whip with her own whips of dirt and rock. Rubble lay around the two Element Holders as Earth clashed with Light.

Luna wasted no time in stirring up the wind, creating a tornado and sending it flying into Lance, who had to dodge, avoiding it with a scowl.

"If you cross me as well, I will not hold back my wrath." Lance warned the blonde girl. Luna replied by sending a gale directly at him, making him loose his footing.

Draco used that to bend space around him, pining the Light Holder to the ground. Bella hurried forward, raising her arms up to lift a large ball of earth. She led it over to hover above Lance.

Before she could let it go, something hit her leg. She lost her balance and the earth ball fell a few feet away from Lance, turning into a pile of dirt.

"Enough." Dumbledore's voice made the three teenagers stare at the old man in utter disbelief. "Enough. You three have been allowed powers to great for you to handle. You will get rid of them this instant. Allow Lance to take them. Become normal like your fellow students. The Elements should not be the playthings of children."

Bella stared at Dumbledore for a moment longer then slowly rose from the ground, turning to stare at the old wizard. "No." She said it loud enough to make the leaves in the trees shiver. "Your era is over Albus!" She couldn't say why but saying the headmaster's first name just seemed appropriate. "Light cannot win! Not this time! The balance will be lost if you and Baldur win!"

Dumbledore looked at Bella with pity in his light blue eyes. "Oh my dear, I wish you had not proven my fears true. But I see in you the same darkness I once saw before. I cannot allow another evil to join this world."

Bella bowed her head. "The old man is in the way Baldur. This is between you," a cage of dense stone formed around Dumbledore, "and me." A cage of light sprung into being around Luna. Draco had vanished a second prior.

Lance smirked. "I couldn't agree more." He said as he sent a bolt of light at Bella. She dodged it, sending more boulders at Lance. He blasted them apart. Bella could feel her strength waning. Between keeping the cage up around Dumbledore and trying to fight Lance, it was draining pretty quick.

He faked a shot then, and Bella fell for it, landing right in the path of a large bolt of pure, raw light. She shrieked as it burned her, making her feel like she was in the middle of a large sun. It lasted only five seconds but she was sure she had never experienced anything as painful as that.

Lance walked towards her twitching body, smirking as he prepared a sword of light in his hand. He raised it high. "I will enjoy this, you little pest."

"Eat my dust." Bella spit out, slamming her hand onto the glade floor. The ground under Baldur opened up and he fell into a large tunnel. Bella knew he'd get out soon enough, but she just didn't have the strength to move at the moment.

"That's it!" Severus's voice rang out then. Bella looked on as Severus picked her up. Draco saved Luna from the light cage. "I've had it. Let's leave, now!"

"Yes, let's." Luna agreed. "Don't forget the others." She told Draco right before they vanished from sight.

Lance was just pulling himself out of the tunnel when Draco returned, grabbing the boys and narrowing his eyes at the Light Holder and Dumbledore.

"You'll regret this. Both of you." He promised with a dark smile as he pulled his friends out of range of Lance's lightning bolt.

* * *

Lucius looked down at his daughter as she lay in her bed, under several blankets. Dobby was just clearing away the bandages they'd wrapped around Bella's burns. The burns were healing thanks to Severus's salves but still it was slow going. Not as bad as the first time Bella had been beaten with lightning though, thank Merlin.

"It's enough." Bella murmured, looking up at Lucius. "I've had enough Father. I've had it with Elements using me, with people not trusting me, with all the pain. I've had enough."

Lucius nodded, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "Tell me what you wish me to do, daughter. I will do whatever it takes."

Bella took a deep breath. "Draco said you buried Mama and Auntie Cissa on the grounds. Take me to them?" She lifted her arms. Lucius hesitated then lifted her off the bed, wrapping blankets around them. He took the long way out, making sure Bella paid attention to the path so she could go once she was better.

At the very edge of the Manor grounds was a round garden that Bella wasn't sure had been there before. Lucius took her inside, kneeling down in front of two black headstones. Silver letters said the names of the two women, their dates. Bella stared at them for a long time.

"It's been one torture after another Father, and I don't know why. Why torture me?" Bella said at last. "But that's enough. I've had enough. It's time to show them all why torturing me is not a good idea. I'm going to make my Empire, Father. Make it bigger, grander than any empire before. I will crush the Light, subdue the Dark, and I'll stand on top of it all with my head held high."

Lucius smiled as he rose from the ground, holding Bella close as they walked back inside. "I will be by you side the entire way."

Bella smiled, snuggling into him gratefully. "There's hell to pay now." She promised as they stepped into the manor.

* * *

_**Wow, I got pissed off at my own characters for doing what I wanted them to do. Hehe. Well here ya go. Hope you all liked it as always. **_


	45. Up The Ante

**~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot, which I hope is good. **

**It's been a bit over a year since I first started Waga Routashi. Funny huh? Well hopefully it will be finished sometime in the New year. Here's hoping right? ^^. Enjoy. **

* * *

**Part Five **

_**Chapter Forty-Five: Up The Ante**_

The Manor hadn't been so full in decades, Lucius mused as he looked down the long dining table. Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle were sitting across from Bella, Luna, and Draco. Severus was sitting next to Bella. Lucius was on Draco's other side. Blaise's mother, Atalanta, was sitting next to her son. Crabbe and Goyle's fathers weren't there, but only because the Dark Lord had called a meeting that evening. Their mothers, Catherine Crabbe and Elmira Goyle were however.

"So that is what has been occuring." Atalanta said, setting her spoon down. Bella and Draco had just finished telling the tale of the Empire's start, the Elemental War, everything. "Blaise as a Royal Advisor, that is something I never did see." She added then, smirking at her son.

Blaise nodded, his eyes flashing with humor. "I find it very satisfying." He assured them all.

"You'll have more to do now." Bella promised him. "Lot's more. We have to get in contact with everyone who has contacted us. We need to prepare the Manor, offer the full protection of the Empire to those who come. I need to talk to Fleur and I am going to make people know who I am." Bella smirked. "I am tired of being the girl getting pushed around. I'll bring Dumbledore and Baldur down even if it takes forever to do it."

"We're with you all the way." Luna cheered, holding up her goblet in a silent toast. "The Empire will flourish. Time has said it is so."

Bella frowned. "Don't mention Time, 'kay Luna?"

Luna grinned. "Mention who now?"

"Exactly."

Bella sighed and rubbed at her bandaged arm, grimacing at the slight sting. Severus lightly slapped her hand away, making her grin a little at him.

"Now then, we have to bring in as many allies as possible." Bella continued to plot, her mercury gaze focused on the fine wood of the table. "And I need to become stronger. I can beat Bladur, I know I can. I just need to become a little stronger, practice my element a little more. I must."

"Let me worry about Baldur." Draco spoke up then, placing his hand over one of Bella's bandages. "You focus on being the Empress."

"No. I have to get rid of Baldur." Bella's voice was heavy with conviction. "I can be both Empress and executioner."

"Executioner?" Lucius wondered then, looking at his daughter worriedly.

"He wanted to destroy my magical core Father." Bella told him with a bit of that deadly smiling playing around her lips. "I will destroy his in turn. First though, I must find a way to get rid of Dumbledore. Without a puppet, Baldur will fall easier. Without their icon of goodness, it will take no time to crush rebellions." Bella stared up at the ceiling. "I can then focus on the Dark."

"Voldemort is our target as well?" Blaise wondered.

"He is Harry's." Bella replied, shaking her head. "We will just make certain Harry has Voldemort right where he wants him."

"Potter's safe for now, isn't he?" Goyle asked then.

"Yes. And he must remain safe." Bella whispered, pushing her seat back. "Now I'm going to go soak in that bath oil you made for me Papa Sev." Bella smiled as he stood up as well.

"I have more." Severus replied, leading her out of the dining room with a hand on her back.

* * *

Bella smiled from behind her mask, brushing a blonde hair back from her face. Next to her sat Draco. Beside Draco stood Blaise. On Blaise's side was Goyle. On Bella's other side were Crabbe and Luna.

"Welcome to our home." Bella said as Fleur Delacour rose from her curtsy. "It's wonderful to see you again Fleur."

"It iz an honor to be here." Fleur replied, walking forward and taking a seat at the table next to Luna. "Am I correct in guessing we 'ave more guests arriving soon?"

"Yes." Draco said as the ballroom doors swung open silently. "But before that we wanted our Knights to join us."

Into the room walked Viktor Krum, smiling as he bowed to the Empress. "Empress, I did not recognize you for a moment."

Bella grinned happily. "For the time being, I have decided to keep my identity secret. It will serve to bring more people to our side."

Viktor took a seat next to Fleur with a nod to the Fire Holder. She nodded a little tightly in return.

"Who vill be joining us?" Viktor asked as a house-elf approached the table with a pitcher and several goblets.

"The Notts, a member of the Ravenhood, and the Krestler heirs. I felt it would be easier to start with the wizards." Bella took a sip of the bubbly champagne the elves had poured into her goblet.

"Ravenhood?" Fleur wondered then.

"The Noble House of Ravenhood. A guild of sorcerers known for practicing both Light and Dark Arts. Of course they are careful not to be caught." Bella smirked. "Father told me of their order. It seems the Malfoys were once a member of the guild as well, before Voldemort appeared. He decimated the Ravenhood numbers during his first reign. I figured they'd enjoy a side that continued to allow them their practices but wouldn't threaten to crush them to death."

"You thought correctly young one." A soft voice said. Bella stood up along with her Knights to welcome a tall man wrapped in indigo silks. He was dressed like a Pharaoh, with gold in his dark brown hair and on his upper arms. Bella took a steadying breath as his power seemed to brush against her own. A few sparks were created between them before the man's lips twisted up into a smirk, his amber eyes narrowed.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor, Lord Nen." Bella bowed her head then sat down. Lord Nen's smirked widened a little.

"So you are the Empress of the Elements." Lord Nen said as he settled into a seat across from Draco. "We have been hearing many great things about you. Your empire is small, nearly nothing, yet it has managed to subdue both the Water Holder and the Dark Holder." Lord Nen looked at Viktor, who unconciously touched his throat in remembrance. "Not only that, but you also seem to hold favor with the Chosen One."

Bella smiled pleasantly. "For the moment, the Chosen One and I are at a standstill."

Lord Nen hummed thoughtfully.

The doors opened to admit two young men, both with red hair and dark blue eyes. They wore black robes. Bella rose again, nodding as the two bowed.

"Welcome Krestler brothers." Bella announced. Draco eyed the two as they took seats across from Viktor and Fleur.

"Sorry for the lateness, but we had trouble getting away from our parents undetected." The older Krestler brother said.

"I know what that's like." Draco murmured.

The doors opened for a third time and in walked Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Felicity Nott along with their son Theodore.

"Good, now we're all here." Bella said as she nodded to the Notts. "Please sit wherever you like."

"Before we start..." Mr. Nott said, looking over the assembled party. "I need to know what protection you can offer us."

"The same we're offering to the Malfoys." Blaise replied promptly. "The Empress's bloodwards have stood up to two attempts by Death Eaters and the Dark Lord himself to enter. Lucius Malfoy seems pleased enough with the protection."

"Where is Lucius?" Mr. Nott asked then.

"He chose not to join us this evening." Bella said quietly. "You do not need to join us either Mr. Nott. In either case, I will extend the invitation of the Malfoys to join them here, in the manor. By coming here I assume you are already marked for Death by your master."

Mr. Nott nodded.

"Then welcome to the Manor." Draco offered making their guests chuckle. "Now then, to business."

Bella left her seat and began pacing a little as she spoke. "I began this empire simply as a means of rebellion against Dumbledore. I dislike him, his mightier-than-thou personality, his feelings that he is doing what he does for our own good. For the greater good." Bella paused to stare at each of their guests. "I want to end his reign. Let a new Era begin. One where magic is simply magic. No Dark, no Light, simply magic."

"Simply magic." Lord Nen repeated.

Bella nodded, smiling then. "I don't want to take over the world like Voldemort or rule it quietly from the sidelines like Dumbledore. I want my own empire, my own place, where magic can be practiced no matter its origins or past uses. It is time wizards return to the times of our ancestors. Those who used magic to better their lives and the lives of other like them. It is wizards like Grindlewald and Voldemort who have placed a taboo on certain areas of magic, simply because of how they've used it. But we are not all Grindlewalds and Voldemorts."

Her guests were nodding and staring at her raptly. Bella wondered if this was how a minister or president felt. To have all eyes on them, to be voicing their opinions and desires.

"I know I'm young, and what right do I have to expect people to join me against two of the most powerful wizards of our age." Bella continued on. "But I am strong too. Maybe not their equal spellwise, but in power we are just about even. I have been blessed with control over Earth. Delacour can manipulate Fire. The Prince can contort Space." Bella smiled. "I have used Light's power against him and bound Water and Darkness." Viktor gave his throat a quick scratch. "In spite of these gifts, I am not stupid. I know I need allies. People with power of their own to make a name for my empire."

The younger Krestler brother raised his hand then. "What do you expect us to do?"

"I want to rule the empire in my dreams without worrying that any small rebellion will crush me." Bella told him. "I need people who hold sway in our world to back me up. Help my story get out there. Help people find me if they wish to turn from both light and darkness."

"We spread word of your empire in exchange for what?" Lord Nen asked.

"What do you wish? What can you desire?" Bella replied, smirking as Lord Nen chuckled. "What is better than freedom?"

"Money?" The elder Krestler brother muttered making Bella chuckle.

"Wealth will come to those who chose the winning side." Bella answered. "I need more people behind me."

"What if we don't wish to let your rule?" Mrs. Nott's question had Bella thinking hard for a second. She'd not thought of that, to be honest.

"I guess it would come down to how many wish for me to rule and how many don't. If no one wants a teenager in charge, then I'm sure once Voldemort and Dumbledore are taken care of, we can all come to some agreement." Bella meant about half of that. But no need to let that on.

"I for one enjoy the idea of an Empire." Lord Nen said after a short pause. "One ruling body, one with a mind unlike the current government."

"We switched to a Minsitry for a reason." Mr. Nott argued.

"And look how well it's served us." The elder Krestler replied. "The Dark Lord has returned and they refuse to acknowledge it, simply because Fudge is too afraid of doing otherwise."

There were some muttering after that. Bella figured she had Lord Nen and the brothers on her side. If the Notts decided not to join, she'd have them Obliviated.

"I suppose Lucius knew what he was doing, joining your side." Elliot Nott said at last. "I will put my trust in you as well."

Bella smiled and inclined her head, thanking them. "Thank you for that. If you wish to leave now, you may. If you wish to stay then you may as well." Bella stood up and began heading towards the doors.

"Will you be leaving now?" The elder Krestler asked.

"Yes. I have fish to fry." Bella replied with a smirk as she left with her Knights at her side.

"That went rather well." Bella said as they walked to the eastern wing where Lucius and Severus waited.

"Well?" Lucius wondered as his daughter cancelled the enchantments she'd placed upon herself.

"We have three new allies. Things are looking up." She replied, flopping into a chair. "Though they did bring up a good point. What if after Dumbledore and Voldemort are gone, no one wants me to rule? We need to think about that."

So they all began to brainstorm, while Bella focused in and out of the conversation. She really wished she could see Harry. She just felt she'd be able to concentrate if he weren't under the thumb of the Light.

* * *

"Harry Potter."

Harry looked up at the sound of his name being said. He gaped at the beautiful woman he recognized from his trip into the future with Emily. His eyes round, he followed the woman into a room which she warded.

"You're Life." Harry whispered then, looking around the room as if expecting to uncover a spy. He knew he was being watched. Ever since Bella and the others had 'been taken out of school' he'd felt the eyes on him.

"Do not worry young Savior, there are none who can spy within my wards." Life said. "I am Aurora Olexei. Life." Aurora smiled as Harry processed her surname. "I am Jett's wife."

"Oh." He replied as he took a seat up on a desk. "What do you want with me ma'am?" Harry asked then. Aurora chuckled at the ma'am and moved so she was sitting across from Harry.

"I thought you would like an update on Bella and the others." Aurora said, offering Harry a mirror. He took it with a questioning frown until it flashed and he was able to see and hear as Bella, disguised yet again as the Empress, spoke to a gathered group of about six or seven wizards and witches. "Her numbers swell daily now, it seems. She will make a great empress once the war is over."

Harry only half-heard her. His eyes were focused on Bella, as she stood up and pounded the table to gain control of the meeting.

_"Look at you! All of you! Fighting yourselves instead of focusing all your power on destroying those who would enslave you or chain you up! No wonder wizards consider you animals!" _Bella's shout came through the enchanted glass.

"She's amazing." Harry murmured, forgetting he had an audience. Aurora laughed softly, taking the mirror much to Harry's dislike. "So she's alright? Emily said she sensed a fight the night of Bella's detention."

"The wounds she sustained have healed. She is angry now. And unhappy." Aurora's words made Harry ache. He grimaced at her while she sighed heavily. "It is all necessary of course. Still, I do not like seeing her growing so bitter."

"But it's only for a little while, right?" Harry asked her, making Aurora cheer up a little.

"Yes. Only for a little while longer. That is what I truly came to inform you of. The Aku no Hana are growing in number. Soon you will be called upon to choose the one which will be attached to Bella."

Harry grimaced once more. He'd forgotten he'd have to infect Bella with darkness so she could have enough power to overcome the Light. He'd forgotten why she needed to be hurt. Why that was a good thing.

"How soon is soon?" Harry wondered then, wishing he had a date to look forward to, or a certain frame of time. Anything other than this waiting.

Aurora looked into the mirror, her grey eyes thoughtful. "That depends on Bella. When she is ready to face the world, face the Light, then Jett and I will come and find you to take you to the Garden." Aurora saw Harry's anger in the flash of his eyes and reached over to brush a hand over his scarred forehead. "She thinks of you often."

"Then let me go to her." Harry knew he sounded whiny, like a beggar even, but he was so tired of pretending to like his fellow Gryffindors again, of pretending he didn't have feelings for Bella. He wanted to be a Knight again darn it all.

"I cannot. You must not." Aurora told him sternly, cupping his chin and dragging his gaze up to meet hers. "If you dare to go to her now, while her power and the Aku no Hana are still immature, you will jeopardize her life. Baldur will have a very easy time turning her into ashes."

Harry winced, scowled, then let his head hang with a great sigh of defeat. "Okay. I won't do anything but play the good little Gryffindor for now."

"That is exactly what you must do Harry." Aurora said. "Continue to hold your secret meetings, continue to grow strong, so that when you are reunited, you will serve Bella well as a Knight."

Harry nodded, turning to ask Aurora about the others but the Life Holder was gone, and the room was empty.

"Stupid Elemental Holders." Harry muttered as he left the room.

* * *

Bella sighed as she undid the Empres disguise for the third time that week. She stretched as she flopped onto her bed. She was tired of hiding her true face, but she wouldn't dare show her reluctant allies her identity yet. She just didn't trust them enough yet. Plus, it was always good to keep Dumbledore, Baldur, and Voldemort guessing, in case some of these supposed allies turned out to be spies.

There was an upside to all this work though. She had more people, more groups, turning to her these days. She was being whispered about in social circles. The Empire's power was growing.

She hadn't had anything to do with Life, Death, or Time in weeks. It was nearly the end of November now. Soon it would be Christmas.

A knock had her calling, "Enter." Luna and Fleur stepped into her room.

"We have been quiet too long." Luna said as she stepped forward.

"Ze people need a demonstration of our power." Fleur told her, pushing her sheet of silvery hair behind a shoulder.

"What do you suggest?" Bella wondered, seeing the smiles on her friends faces. Luna and Fleur looked at each other then turned to Bella.

"We have cause damage to the Ministry...why not destroy it completely?" Luna whispered, making Bella slowly begin to grin.

"Show ze might of ze Empire!" Fleur agreed. "I believe it would 'elp wiz ze werewolves and goblins especially."

Bella wondered if destrustion was the way to go. Then she recalled the fear of the magical beings like werewolves and goblins, who feared that an empire would merely be a glorified Minsitry, which would restrict their rights even more.

"Let's go then."

* * *

She'd thought of bringing Draco along, but instead had delegated onto him the task of sorting through their latest pile of requests for an audience with the other Knights. He'd been told what the girls were up to and had smiled.

"Show them we mean business." Draco had said by way of parting.

So now here they were, standing across the street from the Ministry. They were hidden under glamours, waiting for night to truly fall, for everyone to leave.

As midnight rolled around, they moved forward, Bella using her power to create a tunnel that would take them right into the Atrium.

Once inside, Luna and Fleur spread their power out, along with Bella's, to ensure there would be no unneeded death.

Then they began their work. Bella chuckled as the floor beneath them began to crack and crumble.

Luna created hurricane winds and Fleur let her flames be carried by those winds. Slowly they made their way to the lifts, stepping into one and leaving the Atrium in ruin.

They did the same thing to each level. One by one. Bella poured herself into the work.

Fire and wind and earth mingled and clashed, spreading searing flames, knocking walls down, cracking foundations. The fire ate through everything, destroying years of work in some cases. Luna's winds stirred it all into a riot.

On the very highest level, the girls created a hole in the ceiling and pulled themselves out. They then torched and dismantled the seat of wizarding power.

They stood on the roof, listening to the windows burst with the heat of Fleur's blaze and feeling the building quake and tremble as Bella's work made everything unstable.

Then without warning, the roof they stood on began to sag and Fleur Apparated them to another roof so they could continue to watch.

Bella watched it all burn with a sense of delight. One of her obstacles had just been cleared out of the way, rendered useless.

She was spreading chaos now, not just promising to. Grinning she stood up along with her Knights.

"Let's get home then." Bella told them. Fleur grasped each of their arms and yanked them away just as the wizards began arriving.

* * *

By morning the Minsitry of Magic was a charred out skeleton of its former glory. Fudge had no words for the devastation.

"You and your Element Holders did this?" A vampire asked Bella during that day's meeting. Bella smirked and nodded.

"Delacour and Lovegood told me we had been much to quiet. And I truly wished to show you I would keep my word, and not tolerate those who try to subdue magical beings. I wonder though if this will be enough to convince you to join my side." Bella told him with a smile.

The vampire turned to look at the goblin, werewolf, and centaur representatives. "You hold great powers in your hands."

"I know. And they only serve me." Bella smirked wickedly then, brushing her fake-blonde hair to the side. "Gentlemen, the choice is always yours. But I am honest in my desire to have your aid and help you in turn. A world where those who weild magic are freer than they've been in centuries... Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

The magical beings muttered amongst themselves while Bella looked on.

Although it felt good to have destroyed the Minsitry, she couldn't help but feel like it was a wasted gesture. Then she thought about it more and realized it was a needed gesture. Something to show the true might of the Empire. Something to show the true power of the Empress.

She should stop holding back. The Light held back. She would be stronger than them, smarter too.

In any case, Fudge was dealt with now and for good.

* * *

_**And chappy end. Thank goodness for fast-paced songs, they made the last half of this chapter possible. Arigato for reading. **_


	46. Unmasked

**~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot, which I hope is good. **

**Your reviews always make me sooo happy! I'm glad you're enjoying this story. **

* * *

**Part Five **

_**Chapter Forty-Six: Unmasked**_

Harry stared at the Daily Prophet in utter shock. Up at the head table, Umbridge looked about ready to faint. The Ministry of Magic was in ruin. Burned, broken, and looking as if a tornado had run through it. The picture over the headline showed Fudge and several other Ministry workers just gazing up at the remains of their seat of power.

"The perpetrators remain unknown but many speculate about the Empress, the girl who brought You-Know-Who out into the open earlier this year." Hermione read aloud. "The damage done to the Minsitry is not the work of a mere wizard or witch. Every single floor above the Atrium was reduced to rubble. The Department of Mysteries alone remained untouched."

"Do you think it was her?" Neville asked then. "The Empress?"

Harry frowned as he thought about it, eyes moving over the hall, towards the head table. Dumbledore was watching him carefully, he noted then, as if expecting something.

"If it was, she's gotten more powerful." Harry muttered, casting a meaningful glance at the head table. Neville and Hermione nodded, Hermione folding up the paper.

They hurried to finish breakfast then made their way towards their first lesson of the day.

"Can you imagine?" Hermione murmured. "Fleur, Luna, and Bella destroyed the Ministry in a single night."

Harry nodded, unable to keep a smirk off his face. "Bella's always been powerful. Now she's getting pissed off enough to do what she wants."

His friends chuckled at the hint of pride in Harry's tone. "I wonder why she decided to destroy it though?" Neville asked as they settled into their seats.

"Probably to cause a stir." Hermione suggested. "She hasn't done much since she took Voldemort in. If she's gathering allies, it could have been a power play. She demonstrated what she could do."

Harry thought that was it. Bella needed to show the people she was trying to win over that she was worth going against the established order. With the power of Elements on her side, she could guarantee a change in their world.

That's what they were fighting for now, Harry thought to himself. A change, for the future, for all the glories that could never be with people like Dumbledore and Voldemort holding all the power. It was time for a change, time for the world to stop using people like Harry to fight their battles for them.

He just hoped Bella wouldn't give up hope on them being reunited. Or on anything else. He just hoped she'd last long enough for everyone to get together again.

* * *

Christmas was coming. Bella sighed as she watched the house-elves decorating around her. Fleur looked up from the letter she was writing to Bill Weasley. Although surprised at first, Bella couldn't deny Fleur was happy with the eldest Weasley boy.

"What iz it?" Fleur wondered, setting her quill down as Bella sunk further into her chair. They were in her little study at the moment, where she'd been reading over invitations to visit some potential allies over the holidays. After their impressive feat the other week, more people were starting to see Bella did indeed have the power to make good on her promises. Soon enough she'd have a true empire, full of loyal people who would fight for what she wanted. Freedom. Gray areas long forgotten. That's what Bella was going to work for, until the day she died.

"I'm feeling sentimental is all. This is the first Christmas in a while that I haven't had any Gryffindors with me." Bella replied, making Fleur smile in sympathy.

"I understand." Fleur bit her lip then, making Bella cock an eyebrow. She'd come to know her older friend well since they first met. When Fleur bit her lip like that, she was mulling over whether or not to ask something. She came to her decision, apparently, because she nodded and turned to Bella with a determined pout on her face. "Bella. Zere iz someting I wish to ask."

"I'm all ears." Bella replied.

"It iz about Bill." Fleur said then. "'E... 'E wishes to come see me. I 'ave told 'im what I 'ave been doing. Nothing incriminating, merely that I 'ave been working with ze Empress. Because I could not lie to him. 'E wishes to meet ze Empress too." Fleur sighed then. "Probably on ze old man's orders."

Bella thought about that for a minute. Dumbledore had indeed sent her a letter, expressing a desire to meet her. Bella had refused it, along with the two from Voldemort. This was probably a way of getting a spy in to see her.

But Fleur always spoke so fondly of Bill these days, that Bella felt her heart ache at the thought of keeping them separated. She knew how badly it hurt, to not see the person you liked.

"I suppose on spy won't be too much of a hassle." Bella said at last. "I can't keep everything a secret forever."

Fleur's smile was dazzling as she got up to hug Bella. "Oh thank you Bella!" She hopped back to her seat to finish writing her reply joyfully.

"Tell him he's going to have to surrender his wand though." Bella added before Fleur could finish. Fleur nodded, smiling still.

When she'd gone off to find an owl to deliver her letter, and the house-elves had left her a cup of hot chocolate before moving on to decorate the next room, Bella sunk back into her seat. The snow falling past her window seemed to put her in a trance.

She wondered, for a moment, what it would be like, to not have been born as a twisted entity. What if she had just been born Bella Malfoy, with no extra powers, with nothing special at all?

She'd probably still be at Hogwarts, while Voldemort secretly made his way in the world, with Harry and Hermione and Neville and Padma and the Slytherin Knights. She'd be helping them rebel against Umbridge and everything would be so easy to fix because she would have the Malfoy name and wealth at her back.

But she was not normal. She was twisted. And she was waging war against an established power. Two established powers. Darkness and Light would fall. They'd fall if it was the last thing she did.

"I could just end up dying." She murmured to her empty study. "That's twice that Baldur's kicked my arse. He's after blood now. I might fail."

"You will fail only if you allow yourself to."

Bella squeaked, turning around to find Lucius standing by the door. She blushed, not having noticed her father entering. Lucius walked forward, smiling as Bella reached out her arms for a hug. He pet her hair and allowed her to cling to him.

Lucius had seen something broken in his daughter's eyes when she'd returned to the manor. Something that had once been there was gone. And every day her sadness grew. It seemed the further she went along the road towards making her empire, the deeper her sadness got. Power was obviously starting to wear on his daughter's heart. Bella looked ready to collapse.

"I need to become stronger Father." Bella murmured after a while. "At the moment, I cannot overcome Light. He's too powerful for me. I just don't know how to get stronger."

Lucius mulled that over for a while as he shifted so that he was in Bella's chair and she was on his lap, hiding her face in his chest. "Strength comes from knowledge." He said finally, causing Bella to lift her head. "You have, until this moment, only learned the power of light." Brushing her bangs off to the side, Lucius looked steadily into his daughter's eyes. "But what do you know of the power of darkness?"

Bella looked at him, into the grey eyes identical to her own, and gasped softly as it sunk in. "Dark Arts." She whispered. "You think if I learn Dark Arts, it will strengthen me?"

"Yes." Lucius told her with a smirk tugging onto his lips. "Is that not what your empire is all about? Learning magic whether it be labeled Dark or Light?"

She nodded, though she looked a little reluctant. "It just... It's always been a taboo. So..." Bella trailed off, her eyes narrowing with her thoughts.

It made sense. To defeat Light, you needed Darkness. That was why she was weaker. She had a light element, but she needed something more to boost her own power. Just like how you added salt to some desserts to make them sweeter. Or how you needed poison in order to make an antidote. Yes, it was so obvious now. She was failing because she had not truly opened her heart to all the powers magic offered her. Which made her a bit of a hypocrit to be honest.

"Teach me Father." Bella said, looking up into Lucius's eyes again. "Teach me everything you can."

Lucius nodded, moving to stand. Once they were both standing, he dropped a kiss on Bella's forehead.

"Let us find your brother. I am certain it will benefit him to learn as well."

* * *

Jett and Aurora were taking a turn in the Garden of Lycoris, simply enjoying each other's presence, when it happened.

A great rustling began and suddenly, as if time had been put on fast-forward, the red and black Aku no Hana began to burst open into glistening blooms, looking like splotches of blood against the other blossoms.

"She has done it." Aurora whispered, clinging to Jett as they continued to watch the flowers open. "Darkness has begun to seep into her heart."

"Then it truly is only a matter of time. With the likes of Lucius and Severus showing her Dark Arts. She will be strong enough to take both Dumbledore and Baldur on." Jett murmured, touching on of the flowers before drawing his hand away. Emily had warned him to not pluck an Aku no Hana. She had told them both that their little creation would overpower them, and send the world plunging into chaos.

So the two great Elements, Life and Death, stood in the middle of the garden as the flowers finished opening under the moonlight.

The vines on which the Aku no Hana grew started spreading out, with new buds appearing. Aurora sighed as she also skimmed a finger over one of the new buds.

"We had to go and mess with the natural order." Jett chuckled then. "Look at what we've made." He looked at Aurora who was still skimming her fingertips over the flowers.

"Do you really think Harry can reverse what we're doing? Make Bella strong once she has defeated the Light?" Aurora worried about that the most. If Bella's spirit would be broken beyond repair by the time she was done fighting.

"Emily has faith in him. If she is sure he can do it, then he can." Jett promised as he took Aurora's hand and they left the garden.

Aurora cast one last look at the glistening flowers before sighing deeply. "I wonder sometimes, why our little creation worked out this way."

"Who knows?" Jett laughed. "Maybe it was just time to upset the natural order."

Aurora let it go. What-ifs and Whys were no use right now.

* * *

"Again!" Severus demanded and his godchildren got up, wands aloft, grey eyes narrowed with twinges of pain. He disliked seeing them in pain, but as the saying went, whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. That was what they were striving for. To make the two Malfoy heirs stronger. Bella especially. She would be facing great opposition from Dumbledore and Baldur. If she were not strong enough, she would die. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

"Imperio!" Severus shot at them and both his godchildren froze up for a second before sagging. He saw the twitches though, which showed they were trying to fight it off. "Draco, do one hundred push-ups. Bella, run around this room until I say stop."

The two twitched and began to move to obey. But then their grey eyes flashed and Draco dropped to his knees with a shout of "No dammit!"

Bella didn't shout but she was shaking her head and stomping her feet.

Severus smirked. "Very good." He praised as they finally calmed down, both panting with the effort.

"I should hope so." Draco scowled, his body still twitching at random moments.

"The next step will be to cast it upon someone else." Severus informed them. "We will begin with Crabbe and Goyle. Then move on from there."

Bella and Draco nodded, still shuddering.

"It would be wise to learn different forms of magic as well." Severus slowly said, looking down at his wand. Bella looked at him though, her eyes narrowed. "Though it would be difficult to keep up the glamours while summoning the strength to take possession of another's mind."

"What're you suggest Sev'rus?" Draco frowned. "Surely you're not suggesting Bella reveal herself? Our allies barely want to follow her as it is. Wait until they find out she's a Malfoy."

"So are you planning on hiding your true identities forever?" Severus snorted, lip curling a little. Bella blushed, knowing if she'd been anyone else she would be treated to a full-blown sneer of digust right then. "Hiding one's face can be seen as cowardice. And what do you have to hide from now? You've destroyed the Minsitry. You already have the two forces of Light against you. What is there left to lose?"

Bella bit her lip, her eyes downcast. She knew one thing she had left to lose. Her freedom. Her final retreat. But was it stupid and selfish to keep that? She ought to just give it up as well. She was giving everything anyway, what was this one last secret worth?

"On Christmas Eve." Bella said then. "Everyone will be here. I will reveal my face then. It will give the Light just another reason to hunt me down. The Dark too. But you're right Papa Sev. It's rather silly to keep this peek-a-boo game going."

Severus nodded. "Prepare yourselves. I will not be satisfied until you can throw the curse off within the first three seconds."

* * *

"Highness." Fleur's musical voice called as Bella finished tying her mask around her face. It was Christmas Eve and in the ballroom a party was in full swing. Many of the allies she'd gathered for the Empire were up there. Bella had been in the dungeons, putting on her disguise for the last time.

Now she paused on the steps, turning to find Bill Weasley staring at her with narrowed blue eyes. Fleur had her arm around him, and in her other hand she held a wand.

"Empress?" Bill questioned, one red eyebrow raising. Bella held herself straight and proud.

"You must be William." Bella said then, smirking a little. "Welcome to Malfoy Manor. Your wand?"

Fleur handed her Bill's wand. Bill gave a small shake, as if he wanted to snatch it out of her hand. Bella smirked more and pocketed the wand. "Shall we join the others Fleur? The Krestlers were hoping to get a dance with you."

Billy scowled while Fleur just gave a laugh. "Oui, highness."

Bella took a deep breath as she turned and led them up to the ballroom. The house-elves had been ecstatic to have a reason to go all out with the decorations. Lucius too had been pretty happy to have the ballroom in use again. Something about being reminded of happier times.

Holly was on every column, bunches of mistletoe in cozy corners, streamers of gold, red, and green all across the room. A table on one side was laden with food, smaller circular tables surrounded it, reminding Bella of the Yule Ball the year before. A live band was playing beautiful carols on the stage. People danced in the available space, in robes and gowns and suits. Bella took a moment to appreciate the trees and the special eccentric decorations hidden amongst the normal ones that Bella had demanded on. Some traditions you just can't give up.

On the dais the stone seats were drapped in gold and silver silk, with fake icicles around the base.

"It iz beautiful, highness." Fleur murmured. Bella smiled then.

"It is, isn't it?" Bella agreed. "Please try to have some fun, Bill." She directed at the tense redhead. "Fleur has missed you a lot. I would hate to have her Christmas spoiled."

Billy opened his mouth to reply then closed it, instead nodding as he took Fleur out onto the dance floor to join in the waltz currently being played.

"Little Empress." Bella looked over at a vampire who was smiling. "May I have this dance?"

Bella nodded and for a while she went from partner to partner, just letting herself forget what she was planning to do.

It was about an hour later that she was allowed to join Draco on the dais, where her brother smirked as she took the slightly higher seat. "Ready little sister?" Draco asked as the band finished their latest song and Lucius called for order.

"As I'll ever be." Bella replied, standing up as Lucius turned to her.

"That being said," Lucius said, "I will turn this over to the young empress."

Bella looked out over the gathered people. Werewolves, vampires, members of Ravenhood, other wizards and witches that had been brought in, one at a time, a few people she was sure were spies for Voldemort or Dumbledore. All these people, gathered under her promise of free use of magic, of not having to chose dark or light, only power.

For a second Bella wondered what made her any different than Voldemort. He too believed there was only power. What would keep her from falling into his footsteps, from taking it too far, from losing herself-?

"Honored guests and allies," Bella forced the words out before she hyperventilated, "welcome to Malfoy Manor. I hope you are enjoying the festivities. And I also hope you will not be disappointed by what I am about to say." She waited for the murmurs to subside before continuing. "It is nothing alarming, I assure you. Merely something that I have been told could be considered a weakness. I do not want to rely on this weakness forever. So I am here to rid myself of it."

She cancelled the charm on her hair, and took off her mask, letting it fall. With a few more flicks of her wand the disguise was gone, leaving her standing before the gathered people.

"Bella?"

"Malfoy?"

The whispers became louder as Draco too rid himself of his disguise, smirking defiantly at the crowd as he stood beside his sister.

"You've lied to us!" Someone shouted. Bella nodded.

"I have. It was to insure my family's safety. But now I see I do not need to disguise myself any longer. I am planning on raging open war on both the Dark and Light leaders. A few more enemies would do me no harm." Bella laughed and some people joined in. "Does it truly matter that I hid my face now?" She asked.

There was more muttering amongst the guests.

"This changes nothing." Bella promised over the growing chatter. "I am still the Empress, still willing to do whatever it takes to give you the promised Empire."

"No matter what?" Bill asked, glaring at her.

"No matter what." Bella nodded. "Whatever it takes to free us from those who wish to force us into their notions of right and wrong. Whatever I need to sacrifice to bring down those who wish to enslave us. I am going to fight for that promised future... The question is, are you willing to follow a fifteen-year-old teenager into that future?"

There was a bit of silence before Lord Nen approached. He smirked and knelt before the dais, chuckling.

"If it is for the future you promise, I will happily follow you little Empress." Lord Nen declared. Bella smiled brightly, the first real smile she could remember flitting onto her face in a while.

"Glad we're on the same page then."

* * *

"Imperio!" Bella felt the jolt race through her arm, out of her wand, like a lasso being cast out. Goyle's face was surprised then it fell into a polite, indifferent expression.

"Good. It is holding firm." Severus told her. "Order him to do something."

"Hop around the room." Bella ordered. Goyle snapped to it without a word. He hopped for several minutes, until at last Bella released him. Goyle sank against the wall, his legs trembling from the hopping he'd endured. Bella leaned against Severus then, trembling a little herself.

"It felt...so odd." Bella whispered as the Knights laughed and joked with Goyle. Goyle grinned, punching Crabbe when he began imitating his motions.

"What did?" Severus wondered.

"Being in control. Holding his will in my hand." Bella looked up at Severus then, her eyes oddly blank. "I..."

Severus silenced her with a hug. He understood. The allure of power was hard to ignore.

"What if I turn out like Voldemort?" Bella hissed while Lucius called Crabbe forward. Draco looked a bit reluctant to cast the curse on his friend but Crabbe gave him a smile and a nod for encouragment.

"That won't happen." Severus promised swiftly. "You have something the Dark Lord never did. Love. Plenty of love. People willing to pull you back from the ledge if it looks like you're about to fall. You will never become like him."

Bella smiled then. _Right. Duh. I have love. I have friends and happiness and a heart. All those things that Voldemort doesn't. What am I worrying so much about? _

_I can let go now. I can let the darkness in. There's nothing to worry about now. _

Bella shut her eyes and released a slow breath. It felt like something was loosened within her. She could give in a little more. She wouldn't fall beyond the point of no return. Her family wouldn't let her.

_They won't let me down. _

_

* * *

_

New Years Day dawned bright and cold. Bella stood before her mother's grave, her eyes narrowed against the chill.

"A new year has come Mama. Things will change this year. I've started to notice changes to my magic. Maybe it's because I'm not holding back now. We've moved onto the Cruciatus. Not on any of the Knights of course. Lord Nen kidnapped three Death Eaters for target practice. Voldemort knows something's up. His spies have told him I'm the Empress now. I'm sure Bill told the Order and Dumbledore too." Bella smirked, a laugh leaving her. "They should have known better than to use me Mama. They should have known I wouldn't back down. I've been hurt by them enough. I won't be accused of cowering in a corner and licking my wounds. I've got plenty of allies now. Allies with warriors at their beck and call."

Bella looked up at the sky then. "I'll face Baldur once I have more of a handle on the Dark Arts. Papa Sev says at the rate I'm going, that will be within months."

It was a bit surprising to see how easily she was catching on to certain spells. A little scary, Fleur had teased. Luna had just smiled and told her to do her best.

"I have everything and everyone I need at my side. It will be a cake walk."

* * *

**_Hehe, a late Merry Chirstmas and a Happy New Year to you all! _**


	47. The Garden of Lycoris

**~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot. **

**For those who have been missing Harry, this chapter is mostly all Harry. Cheers!**

* * *

**Part Five **

_**Chapter Forty-Seven: The Garden of Lycoris**_

"She is growing more bold, more powerful." Harry said in a cold hiss. "She gains allies daily. Fenrir states the werewolves are lured to her."

"My lord, why don't you try to win her over?" A masked man asked.

"What would I need a child for?" Harry spit out, the man nearly falling over with the venom in those words. "A little girl playing pretend, that is what Bella Malfoy is. She believes she can beat me?" He laughed then. "I will defeat her. I will crush her into dust."

"Harry!"

Harry jerked awake, staring up into Neville's eyes. The boy let out a relieved sigh, sitting back into the couch cushions.

They were alone in the common room, having arrived there after their DA meeting. Harry must have dozed off. Neville was giving him a worried look.

"Another dream?" He asked.

"Yeah." Harry whispered, shuddering a bit.

"V-Voldemort?" Neville barely breathed the name out. Harry nodded.

"He was talking about Bell." Harry bit his lip, eyes growing hard. "He thinks he can crush her. Stupid snake-faced bastard."

The two boys were alone, Hermione having gone up to bed. Harry and Neville lapsed into silence.

It had been several weeks since Bella and Draco had left the school. In that time Arthur Weasley had been attacked, then Azkaban had suffered a break-out, and several more Educational Decrees had been passed. Harry was wishing every day he could get out from under the watchful eyes of the professors and Dumbledore.

To make things even worse, Baldur had decided to install himself at the castle. Emily was very pissed off about this little turn of events. Harry personally felt she'd brought it on herself. Surely Baldur wouldn't have dared if Bella was still around.

Every day Harry waited for Aurora or Jett to appear, to tell him that it was time. He was starting to snap angrily in response to the heavy blanket of silence that seemed to fall over them. Not even Emily had seen Life or Death since Harry had spoken to Aurora.

Emily did know what was going on with Bella though, and happily filled Harry in. He'd been shocked when she'd told him Bella was practicing Dark Arts. Emily said she was even good at it, which further upset Harry. Not just because he felt it was wrong to expose Bella to the Dark Arts but also becuase he felt there shouldn't have ever been a need for her to turn to Dark magic. Emily said it was one of those necessary evils, to which Harry had scowled.

"Harry." Emily's voice roused Harry from his half-sleep. He noticed Neville snoring in the armchair. A bit of time must have passed while he was lost in thought then. Sitting up he leveled a glare at the Time Holder. She merely smirked.

"What do you want?" Harry sighed when she didn't say anything mroe. He yawned, stretching his arms and legs.

"Aurora and Jett want a word." Emily told him, making Harry jump to his feet.

"Is it time?" He asked the annoying girl. Emily just grinned.

"It is." Jett replied, making Harry whirl around.

Aurora appeared beside him then, looking a bit lost for a second. She smiled though. "She is ready." Aurora whispered.

Harry hurried over to their side and Jett took his arm. Before Harry could voice another question, he felt a curious sensation spread over him. His body turned into a cloud of glittering dust. They began floating away.

* * *

When Harry felt himself regaining his form it was early morning. The sun was just breaking over the horizon. He was on a beach somewhere, the waves soaking his trainers. He looked around the beach and found Jett and Aurora waiting for him.

"Come with us Harry." Aurora beckoned and they walked up the beach towards a bungalow. Harry looked around as they walked, his heart thumping madly in his chest. The time had come. Really come. He would soon be picking a flower that would fill Bella with dark power.

Aurora led the way inside, taking him to a large picture window. She pointed out then and Harry looked to find a circular garden in the distance.

"That is the Garden of Lycoris." Aurora said softly. "For centuries, in that garden, the Aku no Hana have grown and died with the birth and passing of the Earth Holder. For centuries those flowers have helped maintain a balance of dark and light, by feeding off the darkness of the world. For centuries we have guarded those flowers from the rare few who have discovered it."

Jett stepped up next to Harry then. "And it was from one of those flowers that Bella was born."

Harry took a second to process that before he whirled around to gape at Jett. "What?"

Jett and Aurora nodded, motioning for Harry to follow them once more. They followed a stone path for a few minutes until they reached the garden's gate. The Element Holders paused there while Harry was drawn into the center of the garden, his eyes wide as he looked into the garden.

He could see dozens of different plants and flowers there, but they were all overrun by vines from which sprouted red and black flowers. They were beautiful but something in them made Harry refrain from touching them. He tripped a little and found the ground was also crisscrossed with vines. Buds rested there, quivering slightly.

"Several weeks ago, there were only about three vines of Aku no Hana." Jett told him. "But as the pain in Bella's heart has grown, along with the darkness in her heart, the Aku no Hana have flourished. We have never seen the garden like this in all the years that the Aku no Hana has existed."

"What do you mean?" Harry frowned. He'd been under the impression that the flower had been around since, well, forever.

"Jett and I created the Aku no Hana." Aurora said, still refusing to venture within. "Many centuries ago. You see, Jett and I cannot have children."

"Why not?" Harry felt a swift flash of sympathy at the sadness in Aurora's face as she'd uttered that sentence.

"We imagine it is because of the power we hold. He is Death, I am Life." Aurora leaned against the gate. "Any child of ours would defy the natural order. At least that's what we suppose."

Harry mulled that over until Jett spoke up. "We created the Aku no Hana because we were desperate to see if we truly could not create anything with our powers. We wanted something that was just ours. From that desire came the first Aku no Hana. And we were well pleased for a long time, to have created a flower that helped keep the world in balance. It was a fluke of fate that it connected itself to the power of the Earth Holders that came after its creation."

"But we wanted something more." Aurora whispered. "We are endless, Harry. For as long as Life and Death has befallen the human race, we have been alive. Ages and ages have passed us by. Many more will surely pass us." Aurora sighed, brushing a hand across her face. "So we wanted something to keep us company in the many ages we have before us."

"We thought we could use the Aku no Hana as a basis. Create something from it." Jett looked away as Harry stood in the middle of the garden. A vine shot out, curling around his ankle before uncurling and continuing along its way. "And we did, sort of. It had no physical body though, and was weak. Then Aurora had an idea. What if we placed our new little creation into a vessel, gave it a body that would be strong enough for it."

"We searched and searched." Aurora murmured. "Until we came upon Mireya Diaz. She was soon to die, but she carried a life within her. We felt she would be the best candidate, considering how she was an Incomplete Holder."

"Incomplete Holder?" Harry felt another vine begin quivering and looked down in time to see several buds burst open, their red and black petals shimmering in the sun.

"Yes. Mireya could control Metal, namely silver. Such people are born quite often. They have a fraction of the element, but not the whole of it." Aurora smiled then. "We were certain because of this bit of power Mireya held, that her body would not reject the essence we would place within the babe. And we were right. Mireya's body didn't reject it and the essence filled the unborn child, pushing out what once was there."

Harry was feeling a little disgusted at that moment. The way they were speaking... It was like they hadn't really done anything bad. But it was bad, Harry was sure of that. They'd manipulated a life, an unborn baby, just to get what they wanted.

"And because of our interference," Jett's voice was edged with pride now, "we created Bella as she is today. She is the Earth Holder because of the essence we placed into her."

Now Harry felt his jaw drop. "You mean, if you hadn't messed with her, she wouldn't have been?"

Life and Death nodded. "We believe the essence we placed within her, allowed her to harness her mother's incomplete element and thus allowed her to channel the full element tied to her mother's power." Aurora explained. Harry felt a little dizzy from all the information coming in.

"What we did not forsee, was what exactly Bella would become." Jett said then, his eyes on Harry who was glaring at both of them now.

"What's that?" Harry demanded to know.

"Bella is alive, has a heartbeat, can be hurt... But she cannot die." Jett met his glare head-on while he spoke. "Her soul, her essence, it was created by Aurora and I. Even if she were to be mortally wounded, she would not die. Her power would heal her."

"Bell...can't...die?" Harry's eyes were wide as he stared unseeingly at a vine wrapping around an orange tree. Those words just didn't want to make sense in his head.

"No." Aurora sighed. "Our combined power keeps her tethered to this world. For how long we're not sure. Maybe this is a temporary side-effect. Maybe, after a few decades, she will be able to die. But as it stands now, she cannot and will not." To Harry's anger, Aurora smiled and even gave a soft laugh. "We set out to create a little existence that would accompany us in our loneliness. We did it. We made a child for ourselves. Bella is ours, as much as she is Malfoy's."

Harry turned away from the two then, feeling himself snarling as he stomped around the garden. As he did so, the Aku no Hana seemed to follow him. One vine even twined up his leg, making him stop his pacing. He looked down and the buds on the vine burst open. He touched one and felt a jolt travel up his arm.

"So if Bell's immortal, why do I need to pick one of these and give it to her?" Harry demanded to know, his green eyes dark with anger.

"The essence we created was placed into a seedling. We sense something wrong with that seedling. By allowing a mature Aku no Hana to meld with Bella, it will stabalize and fix whatever is wrong. Aside from that, it will also help her make the most of the Dark Magic she will need in order to fight both Baldur and Dumbledore." Aurora replied.

"And why did we really need to separate?" Harry scowled as he looked at Jett and Aurora.

"For the reason Emily gave." Jett said in a patient tone. "If you had remained together, Bella would have died trying to protect you. Or you would have died, trying to protect her. In either case, all would have been lost."

Harry glared before looking down at the vine around his leg. It released him, letting him pace around a bit more.

"There is another reason." Aurora admitted, making Harry freeze as the desire to hex them overcame him. Once it subsided he turned to the beautiful Life Holder. "Without all the pain we have inflicted on Bella, the Aku no Hana would not have matured, meaning we could not fix what is wrong with her. She would not have died, but she would have been broken beyond repair."

The image those words brought to mind made Harry shudder. He gulped down the bile that rose then took several breaths to calm himself.

"So if I pick this flower, give it to Bell, I can help her?" Harry wanted to be one hundred percent sure of that before he helped mess with Bella's life. "She'll be able to do what she needs to?"

"Yes." Aurora said.

"She can't die though. She'll live, for who knows how long."

"That is correct." Jett nodded.

Harry paced a little slower as his mind began to go through every option available to him.

"We can be together once Baldur and Dumbledore are out of the way, right?"

"For as long as you wish." Aurora murmured.

Harry looked at her, and saw how happy she looked, but there was also regret in her eyes. So she knew she'd pretty much damned Bella to the same sort of life she and Jett had. An endless existence. Harry might be able to be with her now... But in time he would die. And Bella would live on.

He didn't want to leave Bella alone.

"Do you think you could do it again?" He asked as he studied the flowers, trying to chose the right one to give to his Bella. "Make another person like Bell, I mean?"

Jett and Aurora looked at one another for a few minutes before Jett nodded. "We suppose we could." His eyes suddenly narrowed. "Why do you ask?"

Harry took a moment to gather himself. It was a rash decision he'd come to. A very impulsive compromise he'd suddenly created in his head. The thought of leaving Bella alone though, of only having a little while with her, made him act on it. Screw the consequences. If Bella was damned forever...then he'd be too.

"Make me like Bella." He said, feeling the power of the Aku no Hana brush against him as he spoke. "Make me immortal like her."

"What?" Jett choked out. "Are you mad boy?"

Harry scowled at the way 'boy' came out. It reminded him of Uncle Vernon. "No I'm not. Make me like Bella or else I won't give her the Aku no Hana. I won't do it."

"You'd let her become broken?" Aurora gasped, looking scandalized. Harry scoffed.

"Don't look at me like that. You guys messed up her entire life before she was even born." Harry squared his shoulder, his eyes glittering strangely. "If you make me like Bella, I'll give her the flower. If not...well... I'd rather she break than have to face an eternity losing people she loves."

"I think the Aku no Hana is clouding your judgement." Jett mumbled then. "Get out of there and let your head cool off. Obviously the darkness is getting to you."

Harry snickered then. "I might agree, if it weren't for the fact that I've been walking over every inch of this garden while you and your wife can't even cross the threshold."

Okay, so maybe the dark power gathered in the garden was having a little effect on him. Then again, the Hat _had _told Harry he would have done very well in Slytherin. Maybe this darkness was just bringing that side of him to the fore.

Whatever the case, Harry wouldn't budge until they either agreed or not. Emily had said he was the only one who could pick it without being corrupted by it. They'd have to give in, he reasoned.

"You're going to do it." Emily's voice startled them all as she walked up and froze at the gate along with Jett and Aurora. "You're going to give into Harry's harebrained compromise. And thus, the new age will have begun." Emily's eyes glittered as she smiled at Harry.

Jett and Aurora gave one last look to each other before sighing. "We will need a flower to do as you ask. And it will take two days." Jett grumbled at last.

Harry found a vine around his leg again. He had a feeling it was the same one that had wrapped around him before. He plucked the flower being offered and took it to the gate, where he handed it over to Aurora, noting how her hands glowed with a milky-white light as she touched it.

"Two days." Emily said as Life and Death walked away. "Then another day for your body to accomodate the changes." She smirked as Harry finally stepped out of the garden, his eyes like emeralds. "Bella will fight Baldur within a week. Even as we speak, she is preparing herself."

"I can't believe it's been four months since she left Hogwarts." Harry said suddenly, staring around at the tropical paradise that surrounded the garden. "Now she's going to tackle the Light."

"And you will tackle the Darkness, in due time. Once both obstacles are cleared, your empire will rise and the wizarding world will be a place where magic is coveted above all other things." Emily sounded so sure, so happy, that Harry couldn't help but smile.

"So all this angst and run around has been for the future?" Harry wondered just how much Emily had planned out. She turned to him with a mischievous grin.

"For the glorious future." She assured him with a nod. "C'mon, I'll Apparate us back." She said then, grabbing his hand and spinning to the side.

* * *

Two days had passed and Harry was once more taken back to the island where Jett and Aurora waited. When asked where he'd been, he'd lied and said something about the forest. Dumbledore had looked skeptical but Harry had merely smiled apologetically.

Now he was back, and ready to be changed into a being like Bella. Immortal, living, never-ending. He had had time to think it over the past two days and he had just grown more convinced to go through with his harebrained scheme. It felt right, like so few things ever had, to become like Bella.

"Now then, there might be pain. We're not sure." Jett warned him as he motioned for Harry to lay on a bed they'd set up for him. "The only time we've done this was on an unborn child."

"I can handle pain." Harry replied.

"We don't know what it will do to you." Jett continued, his lips in a grimace. "It might be impossible to undue."

"I'll deal with it." Harry promised. Jett sighed but moved away as Aurora entered the room.

"Here is is." Aurora whispered, holding a small seed in her glowing hands. The seed had thin green tentacles coming out of it. "Are you ready?"

Harry nodded, keeping his eyes open as Jett drew a blade from his pocket. Harry had only a second to see it before it was plunged right into his chest. Jett withdrew it quickly and Aurora rushed forward, shoving the little seed into the wound.

Harry had the oddest sensation of something squirming in his chest before a fiery pain manifested itself. He let out a shout, his eyes widening then squeezing shut.

Jett and Aurora watched on as Harry James Potter was changed by their own little creation. They waited with bated breath, wondering how this would turn out.

* * *

Bella sighed, having just ended the Cruciatus on one of the Death Eater prisoners. She brushed her sweaty bangs from her eyes, her body trembling a little.

For weeks she'd studied with her father and godfather, practiced side by side with her brother, and now she was feeling it. The coursing of power in her veins.

Strong power, that sizzled and sparked with every forbidden curse she cast.

There was a limit though. Bella refused to ever even contemplate using the Killing Curse. That was one line she would never cross, no matter how easily she'd taken to the darker arts.

There would always be Dark Arts and Light Arts, Bella could see that now. But there would be no Dark or Light sides. There'd be magic, and idiots who misused their gift, and people who did not.

"Good." Severus praised as he walked forward to feed the Death Eater a potion which would heal his frayed nervous system and allow him to recover from being a magical punching bag.

"Ah!" Bella gasped, her hand dropping her wand as it clawed at her chest. A sharp pain had just shot through her, making her breathless as she regained her bearings. Cautiously she drew breath, relieved when no pain returned.

"What is it?" Severus asked even as his wand moved in the familiar diagnostic spells while his other moved to her wrist to check her pulse.

"Just a bit of pain. Maybe an air bubble?" Bella guessed, picking her wand up and shaking her head. "It's gone now."

Severus frowned but his spells revealed nothing wrong. "Very well. Go and find Draco and Lucius. It is nearly time for your meeting."

"Oh is it?" Bella said as she nodded and left the room, checking the time. Severus was about to turn back when he spotted something on the hand he'd used to check Bella's pulse.

There was a faint, shimmering substance on it. Like pollen. Perplexed he carefully wiped it onto a handkerchief, determined to inspect it later.

* * *

_**And that is chapter end. Hope you enjoyed. **_


	48. Crushed Light

**~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot. **

* * *

**Part Five **

_**Chapter Forty-Eight: Crushed Light**_

Bella felt odd. Her body just felt odd. Like something was weakening.

She put on a brave face though. No need to alarm her family or the allies.

"Baldur is at Hogwarts, along with Dumbledore." Bella said as she showed the gathered leaders memories about the castle and the grounds. "Plenty of space to cause chaos. Plenty of Light. I got flayed to within an inch of my bones the last two times I fought with Baldur. It will be dangerous. Dumbledore considers us enemies and will fight to protect Hogwarts. Baldur will use his weakness for the school to slow us down. Baldur fights with his emotions more than he probably cares to admit. Anger, that is what gives him his power. When all his anger is focused on one person...it's devastating."

Bella rubbed at her eye then blinked at the pale pink powder that appeared on her skin. Like flower pollen. Shaking it off, she continued on.

"Dumbledore will be the easiest to get rid of. Subdue him, unarm him, do whatever you must to get him out of the way."

"You do not want him dead." Lord Nen stated, looking amused.

"No. I need him alive for a while yet. Robbing the people of their iconic leader will cause more rebellion than necessary. Baldur is another thing altogether."

Lord Nen nodded. "This Baldur. What does he want?"

"For the Light to prevail." Bella shrugged. "He has a superiority complex. And lucky me, he wants to fry my magical core."

Draco scowled then. "He will focus on you the minute he sees you."

"Let him." Bella huffed, one hand moving to her arm, where there were faint tan lines denoting where the lightning wounds had healed. A shadow fell across her face. "I'm stronger than I was before. I won't let him win."

There were murmurs for a bit before Bella cleared her throat. "Tomorrow. We go tomorrow. Moonlight serves him well but it is weaker than sunlight. The phase of the moon also plays a part in his power. I think that's partly why I managed to survive his attacks twice. Tomorrow is a crescent moon. We may just be on a level playing field then."

"As you wish Empress." The many voices replied.

* * *

Harry hadn't thought it would be so painful. It was dazzling. That was the only word for it, as odd as it sounded. A dazzling pain, that left him seeing spots of color and made every bone ache. _Maybe_, Harry thought deliriously,_ this is what a phoenix feels like on a Burning Day._

He wasn't sure if he was screaming outloud of not. If not, then he was glad. If he was, then he pitied those who were within earshot. His throat felt raw and his eyes were streaming tears. He was sure he was nothing but ash and dead at the moment, but then his frantic heartbeat revealed that nope, he was still fleshy and definitely still alive.

And bloody Merlin there was something trying to escape via his scar. The pressure was building with each endless second. Harry focused on it, not caring what it was, just wanting to alleviate some of the pain.

So he focused, and willed it out, and pushed mentally, and the thing refused to budge. Harry scowled, forcing it to move, to stop bothering him.

He screamed as it finally did, escaping with a hiss and a snap. The pressure relieved, Harry returned to focusing on the fiery pain.

Except, it wasn't so painful anymore. He gave a relieved sigh, sinking into the extraordinary heat, but no longer feeling burned by it.

Around the teenager stood Life, Death, and Time. They watched as he thrashed, whimpered, scowled, groaned and thrashed some more.

It was after the first hour that something different happened. They watched as something inky black and toxic looking oozed from the scar on his forehead. It evaporated like water on a hot skillet, and the three Element Holders could swear to have heard a terrible screech of agony as it did.

Harry seemed to relax once the toxic goo had vanished, he even smiled a little as he lay there, an occasional twitch going through a limb.

"Another's soul." Jett murmured. "He had a fragment of another's soul inside him."

"How bizzare." Emily replied, watching as the boy changed right before her eyes. She couldn't see it, but she could feel it in the air. The boy's time was fluctuating around him, changing. "How much longer, do you think?"

"We're not sure." Aurora whispered, brushing back Harry's fringe to dab at the drop of blood that had exited his scar. "We haven't exactly done extensive experiments on this sort of thing."

Emily smirked a little. They were both tense. She knew it wouldn't last long though, she'd seen it before.

Not that they needed to know that.

_Just long enough, yeah Harry? _Emily thought as she closed her eyes and moved herself through time.

"Emily?" Jett asked and Emily's eyes snapped open, a sad look in her eyes. "Something wrong?"

She shook her head, smiling. He hadn't even noticed she'd gone. "I'm just tired of lying."

"It will end soon." Aurora promised. Emily nodded, watching over Harry with a grin.

"Yeah."

* * *

The pain slowly slipped out of his body, steadily, until only the ache in his throat remained. A cup of some potion cleared that up quickly.

Blinking, Harry noticed the light in room had changed. A half moon hung low on the horizon. It was night. Harry looked around in a daze, his body slowly regaining awareness of itself. No longer was he a pile of flesh in the middle of a fierce fire. He had limbs and a shape.

"Time?" He asked huskily. Emily giggled.

"Yes?" She asked before tilting her head a little. "Eleven twenty. You've been quiet for the past six hours. Gave us a right scare. Aurora and Jett said you were going between living and dead for a long time."

Harry found this statment curious yet he understood it. "So where am I now?" He asked, slowly sitting up.

"With Bella." Was Emily's cheeky answer. She handed him another cup of something sparkling and fizzing, which just turned out to be soda.

"Jett? Aurora?" He asked then.

"Waiting by the garden gate." Emily told him. Harry nodded, breathing deeply and then slowly he rose from the bed.

"Did I change any?" He wondered as Emily led him through the bungalow. She smirked cattily, steering him so that he stood facing a tall mirror.

Oh he had changed alright.

His skin had tanned, he was taller, he looked older and yet not. He had filled out, no longer scrawny and knobby kneed. And most importantly of all... His scar was gone.

"What happened?" He asked as he traced the place where once the distinctive scar had rested.

"This black goo came out of there. Like tar. Just gushed out. You were in pain before that came out, then you calmed down a lot more." Emily's smirk seemed to deepen. "I'll tell you later. You'll need that bit of information. Lucky you, I'm a snoop. Now come on. You have to pick a flower and help the empress."

Harry nodded, pushing aside the wonder he felt before hurrying up the walkway to where Jett and Aurora stood. Harry gasped when he saw them. Jett's black hair had become streaked with gray. Aurora had wrinkles on her pretty face. "What happened to you guys?" He whispered as they both smiled at him.

"We have an idea but...we'll tell you later." Jett replied. He was smiling, a very happy smile from what Harry could tell. "Hurry and pick the flower, Harry. Emily says tomorrow is the night. Bella is on her way to fight with Baldur. Her core is weakening. She needs the Aku no Hana."

Harry gulped and hurried into the center of the garden. It was overrun now with the vines of the flower, and every other blossom was surrounded with the black and red plant.

One open bloom caught his attention. It just seemed to call out. Harry carefully severed it from its vine. The flower glistened in the moonlight, opening even more. Little green trendils began to pop out from the severed stem.

"Come Harry. Time to go." Aurora called him to the gate. Harry carefully cradled the blossom in his hands while Jett and Aurora latched onto his sleeves. He felt his body dissolve much easier this time.

* * *

It was early morning when they arrived back at Hogwarts. They'd landed on the Astronomy Tower. Harry looked around the grounds, shuddering as he did so. In a matter of hours this would become a battleground.

He looked down at the flower and saw it shining in the sunlight as well. Like blood in his hands.

"When will she come?" Harry asked Emily as she materialized in front of him.

"At ten-thirty. The moon won't be so high, and since it's a crescent moon Baldur won't do as much damage as he will hope to." Emily explained. "We can jump ahead you know." She added then, her eyes staring far off into the distance. "I'm ready for this fight. You?"

"Harry should rest for at least an hour. Allow his body to fully adjust to the changes." Aurora cautioned, reminding Harry of Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh right." Emily grinned. "Sleep for an hour or so. Then we'll time hop. Then we can kick some Light ass!"

Harry wanted to disagree but he still wasn't completely focused. He nodded in agreement. "In the Room of Requirement." He suggested. The three Elementals nodded and they made their way there.

* * *

Bella stared ahead at the gates guarding Hogwarts. She looked down at her hand then.

The pollen kept falling off her skin. Odd as it sounded, that's what was happening. Every motion seemed to release some pollen. Severus had said it belonged to something called the Aku no Hana. But why it was flaking off her was the mystery.

Mystery or no, she was fighting Baldur. Her allies stood behind her, dressed in their battle best. She herself had opted for clothes in which she could move easily. Dark jeans and boots, a long-sleeve shirt, her hair in a single, thick braid.

She looked like any other witch at that moment. Any other teenager. She wasn't though. She was ready to fight, to make an empire, to rule it.

"Ten twenty." Draco murmured. He wore robes, the kind used for dueling. Sturdy, but they didn't hinder movement.

"Start crossing everyone over." Bella ordered. Draco nodded, moving to start twisting space and take a group of people beyond the barriers. Bella stayed still as they did. Lucius and Severus were behind her, watching the girl with apprehension. Draco had a point. The minute Baldur spotted her, she was cannon fodder. The vendetta was personally now. She'd defied him twice. Whether she could make it three in a row was to be seen.

Somewhere a clock chimed ten-thirty. Bella gave a small jump. It was enough for her father and godfather to realize she was anxious as well.

Draco appeared in front of her. "Ready?" He asked. Bella nodded. Lucius and Severus grabbed onto Draco's sleeves. Bella took hold of his hand. The blonde smirked as he pulled his family with him through the pockets of space, depositing them in the middle of their group of warriors.

There was stillness for a moment, then Bella lifted her wand, a trail of pollen following the motion.

"Wakey-wakey." She whispered as the ground under them rumbled. Hogwarts quivered as it answered the call of the earth and soon lights were flickering on in the castle's many windows.

With a Sonorus quickly cast, Bella glared. "Lance Baldur! Albus Dumbledore! Your time has come. The Light's reign is ended. The balance must be preserved. Earth calls you out!"

In a flash of lightning, Baldur appeared 50 yards in front of them. Dumbledore followed soon after. So did many of the professors. Bella sighed. She'd thought that might happen, hence the reason she'd called for the capture of all fighters except for Baldur.

One of them was going to die tonight, and she was damned if it was here.

"How dare you? You little chaos-monger!" Baldur shouted as he took in the size of Bella's forces.

Dumbledore held up a hand to silence the younger man. He turned to Bella with a sorrowful smile. "Bella." He called. "Surely you must be mistaken? You cannot mean to fight with us. Surrender my dear girl, before we are forced to cause you harm."

Bella snorted. "It's thanks to you that I fell into harm. Or did you forget it was you who sent me into the forest, where Baldur was waiting to ambush me?" Bella saw the professors share surprised looks and snorted again. "I suppose you lied to them too."

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed and he lost the facade of a benign old man. "If you insist on a fight here, then rest assured Bella, the professors and I will fight to protect the students."

"I'm not after the students." Bella clarified, looking at the professors now. "I'm simply after Baldur and Dumbledore."

Baldur scoffed then began to laugh. "Didn't you learn the last time that you are no match for either of us?" His laughter stopped and his eyes were cold. "You are ruining what has always been! The Light must win, always!"

Bella strode forward, her Knights falling in step behind her, until she was in the very front of her warriors. "Lance Baldur, Holder of Light, the one bringing chaos here is you. You and your puppet Dumbledore. You and your superiority complex. If history has taught people anything is that Light does not always win. Goodness and tolerance and all that is never truly the victor. War comes, fights break out, people become segregated and the balance is usually maintained in that way. But this time, neither Light nor Darkness can win. There has to be a balance between the two, a perfect harmony. That will never happen as long as you continue to poison the people against a union of Light and Dark."

Baldur sent off a Silencing charm, which Draco easily deflected. Bella stood there, staring at Baldur before sighing. "Very well Baldur. We will fight."

Bladur snarled and immediately fixated on her, just as Draco had stated. Bella created a shield of earth that withstood the jets of light coming from the enraged Element Holder. "Remember, prisoners only! No deaths tonight! No matter what they throw at you!"

"Yes, Empress!" Her warriors cried and Bella felt a swell of pride as they rushed forward. She lowered the earthen shiled to find Baldur was gone. Draco and the Knights stood with her but she sent them all a venomous look.

"It has to be this way. Don't stand here defending me. Go and get Hermione and Neville and Harry and Padma." She ordered. Draco looked like objecting when suddenly Emily appeared before them, grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh finally!" Emily shouted, throwing her arms around Draco. "I was so sick of all this! Come on!" And she yanked him away. The Knights watched while Draco struggled to free himself from Emily's grasp. Bella too was gaping then she growled. "Go and get him before that crazy Time Holder hurts him!"

The Knights hurried away and Bella quickly shut out the sounds of hexes being fired, stopped, deflected of shield charms, and the shouting. She saw several of her allies fighting Dumbledore. For an old coot he could sure fight.

A lightning bolt struck the ground close to her feet, making her whirl around to face Baldur. He grinned and stalked forward, deadly as a rabid wolf. She moved closer as well. This time one or the other would win for good.

Another trail of pollen flaked off her hands as she lifted her left hand and created a fist. Baldur was nearly caught and crushed in a fist of earth. The slippery bastard sent another bolt of lightning, laughing as it grazed her left leg, making her yelp at the heat and blisters that appeared.

* * *

Harry, Hermione, and Neville stood on the Astronomy Tower along with Jett and Aurora, watching the battle unfolding below them. It was easy to see where Baldur and Bella were. Dumbledore too was dueling several people without a sweat it seemed.

Emily appeared with a disgruntled Draco who looked ready to murder the Time Holder. His scowl slackened when he spotted Jett and Aurora, his eyes flickering over the two before the scowl returned with venom.

"What're you doing here?" He hissed out as a commotion on the steps of the tower echoed up to them. "And you, let me go!" Draco wrenched away from Emily who looked hurt by his action. "Potter, Granger, Longbottom." Draco greeted, hurrying to the edge of the tower.

"Any particular reason you're angry at them?" Harry asked as he joined the blonde.

"They hurt Bella. Made her heart break." Draco had turned to glare at the three Element Holders. Harry was the one who spoke though.

"That's a really long story Draco, but trust me when I say it was necessary." Harry watched as Draco whirled around to probably shout at him, only to stop when he looked at Harry closer.

"Potter? What the hell happened to you?" Draco asked making Harry chuckle softly.

"Blaise!" Hermione's cheerful shout had them turning just in time to see the witch launch herself into the taller boy's arms. Blaise caught her and held her tightly, patting her bushy hair with a wide grin.

"We need to return to the fray." Luna said as she and Fleur joined Draco and Harry. "Bella needs us."

"Bella only needs one thing." Aurora spoke up. The teenagers turned to Life, who smiled at each of them. "Harry holds it in his hands. You cannot interefere in this battle. Bella must defeat Baldur on her own."

The Knights looked ready to object when Aurora lifted a hand and blew some sort of dust at them. They all tensed up then sagged. Harry alone remained unaffected, along with Emily and Jett.

"It is a special powder that weakens resistance." Aurora explained. "Now listen young warriors. This fight is not yours. Tonight belongs only to Bella and Harry. You may watch from here, you may offer aid to the ones fighting the professors and Dumbledore. But Bella and Harry will ensure the fall of Baldur. It must be so. Right Emily?"

Emily nodded solemnly. "We'll explain why afterwards. For now, it's nearly time Harry."

Harry gave a nod himself before returning to watch the lightning and the earth dancing in the distance. The Aku no Hana in his hand grew more trendils and pulsed with a power all its own.

* * *

Most of the professors were subdued, only about three remained fighting. McGonagall against Severus, Flitwick against Lucius, and Mr. Nott was having fun with Sprout's plants.

Lord Nen was having fun against Dumbledore, along with four others, who had managed to keep him from interfering in the battle between Earth and Light.

Though as she felt the sting of another lightning bolt graze her already injured leg, Bella kind of hoped for an intereference. A break.

An hour had passed and she had managed to injure Baldur just as much as he'd gotten her. Wound for wound, they were matching up pretty well so far.

There was some worry though. The more magic and power she used, the more that odd Aku no Hana pollen kept falling from her skin. It dusted her dark shirt and pants, the ground, even Baldur had some transfer.

A sudden pain in her stomach told her she'd been stupid and spaced off. She opened her eyes to find Baldur had run up and socked her right in the stomach. Her wand fell from her fingers and was kicked away. Gasping, Bella felt him grasp her braid and wrap it around his hand, tugging it so that her head was yanked backwards painfully even as her knees fell to the ground. A wandtip was pressed harshly against her jugular vein and a heavy foot stood on her calf, pressing it down to keep her from getting up easily.

"I will enjoy this." Baldur murmured behind her as his wandtip heated up. "Feeling your die."

"Bell!"

Bella's heart seemed to cease to beat as out of the shadows came Harry, holding something in his hands. He looked different, or at least Bella assumed he did. She hadn't seen him for several months after all.

"Ah. Harry Potter. Come to help?" Baldur called out in a voice meant to be friendly. "Harry, we must defeat this girl. She is no longer the Bella you knew. She has become corrupted by her power and Dark Arts."

Bella made to reply but a hard tug made her yelp instead. Blinking away the moisture in her eyes, she saw Harrry standing there, his emerald eyes narrowed.

"She has not. Even with the Dark Arts, she's not corrupted. She's just open." Harry said slowly, softly, his words making Bella's heart race faster than the adrenaline. "I know what she's been up to. I know what happened to make her turn into this stronger witch. It's not corruption, Baldur. It's the future. A very glorious future, from what Emily has hinted at." Harry smirked. "Too bad you're not a part of it."

"Harry..." Bella felt her eyes well up as she saw him smile at her.

"If you are not with me, then you can die as well." Baldur's voice was cold and Bella gasped as her head was pushed forward. The fingers grasping her hair shifted and Bella felt the power gathering in his hand. She knew what was coming. A lightning bolt, a deadly one. It would hurt her like hell but it was no doubt hurt Harry a thousand times worse.

She shook her head in every direction, trying to get his aim to shift. A kick to the back had her crying out.

_Quick, quick, don't stop struggling! Cut him off! Cut it off! _Bella gasped again, this time in realization as he reached up and grabbed a hold of Baldur's hand with her right hand. Her left searched for her wand. She just needed to get her wand-

He snarled at her to let go, kicked her again, but she only dug her nails into his skin deeper. _Please... Please... _She could have cried in joy as her fingers curled around a familiar wooden handle.

"_Diffindo_!" She shouted as she awkwardly swung the wand, releasing Baldur's wrist in the split second before the spell hit it. Baldur cried out, and Bella cringed as something warm and sticky hit the back of her head and neck. She kicked out, further loosening Baldur's grasp on her.

Crawling forward, she felt hands come down. Looking up she saw wide emerald eyes as Harry helped her stand.

Turning around she saw Baldur and his screams reached her then. He cursed and howled as his wound gushed blood. It reminded Bella of Wormtail's sacrifice the summer before.

"You little bitch!" Baldur lifted his uninjured hand and prepared another bolt of lightning.

Bella's body crumpled then, Harry following her to the floor as pollen filled the air. "Shit, shit, shit." Harry cussed, as he recalled Aurora and Jett's directions.

He lifted Bella's shirt, placed the Aku no Hana on her bare skin, then hurriedly cast a shield charm as Baldur began to launch an assault against them.

The trendils shoved into her skin, making Harry queasy, but then the flower gave a shudder and turned ghostly. Harry saw it become a warm red glow as it slowly sunk into Bella's flesh.

There was a moment of worry, of fear, perhaps he'd waited too long, been too late-

A wave of air, like a ghostly moan, traveled around the grounds, causing the other fighters to stop momentarily and stare in their direction.

Bella was standing up, her eyes completely filled with a fiery red. It gave her the creepiest expression ever as she slowly rose to her feet.

"Lance Baldur." Her voice echoed as she lifted a hand and the ground beneath them rumbled and churned. "The Light will not win this time. It is time for a true balance between Light and Dark. A Gray Era has been called for. You have abused your position long enough."

Harry could feel it then. Every vile emotion of Baldur's. Hidden beneath the facade of goodness and light, the man turned out to be just another man. One filled with hate and arrogance, with a need to dominate. He could feel it all and his breath hitched as he felt his power swelling within him.

He stood up next to Bella, not noticing as his eyes were also completely red by now. He did notice though, that Baldur was getting angrier, and that he was also trembling.

Bella smiled, happy to see no more pollen was falling off of her. She felt her power doubling, beating in time with her heartbeat. She felt she could reach out and crush Baldur. Really, looking at him now, she was shocked she'd nearly died twice at his hands. He was pathetic, ruled by his anger, ruled by his belief in his importance. The world didn't need him anymore. It wanted him gone.

So Bella obliged the earth, and the ground shook, rising, towering, trapping Baldur within it before contracting and collapsing. Even in the rumble of the earth, she could have sworn she heard bones crunching. Then the earth slid away quietly, returning to where it came from, leaving Baldur's broken body exposed.

When the dust settled, Bella and Harry moved towards the still breathing man. They knelt down in unison and instinctively put their hands over his body.

Black chains wrapped around him, sinking into his body, making him cry out as his Element was ripped from his body, from his soul. If ever Baldur were reincarnated, his soul would never possess the power of Light again.

The teens' eyes returned to normal and Bella sighed as she felt herself becoming drowsy. "The earth does not need people like you Baldur. Selfish people, who create wars and hardships for anyone who does not agree with you. A Gray Era has begun. Leave."

Harry watched as Baldur stopped breathing, sighing, his body nothing more than just that. A body, a vessel. His power had been stripped and he was now nothing more than just a body.

Dumbledore let out a shout of Baldur's name, his eyes wide as Harry and Bella rose to their feet.

"Light has fallen. Do you wish to join him?" Bella asked as she walked towards the leader of the Light side.

Dumbledore was staring at Baldur then he lifted his wand and pointed it to Bella. Harry's lips curled as he prepared to defend his empress.

A thunk was heard and Lord Nen's smiling face greeted them as Dumbledore fell forward, unconscious thanks to the bump on his noggin.

"We tend to forget, as magic bearers, that we are still human. We let our guard down, thinking our magic will always save us. It is not recommended to rely too heavily on magic, or else you forget how to fight."

"Thanks for that Nen." Bella chirped, turning to Harry who was grinning at the comical way in which Dumbledore had been subdued. "I have a lot of explaining to do it seems." She motioned to the bound professors.

"So do I. Let's get everyone inside though. Someone should take care of Baldur." Harry said with a grimace.

"That'll be me." Jett stated making Bella hiss and Jett smile ruefully. "Yeah I deserve that. But trust me, there's a good reason for everything that's happened this year."

"Oh there better be." Bella grumbled. "Everyone inside now!"

There was a bit of silence in which people began to move. Then someone let out a laugh. The laughter spread and cheers followed by shouts rang through the night. Bella smirked, shaking her head.

Harry just grinned, feeling the feelings running through everyone. Elation, happiness, content. That last one came most strongly from the girl beside him.

The students all crowded into the Great Hall, the professors who had been knocked out were revived once they were disarmed and bowed. The Knights hurried to stand around Harry, Bella, Life, Death, and Time. Once everyone was settled down, Bella strode forward and stood on top of the Head's table, right where Dumbledore would normally sit.

"Hello everyone. I'm pretty sure you all saw the battle that just occurred." Bella began, smiling fiercely as her warriors let out shouts of triumph. "You're all probably wondering why it happened, yeah?" Several hundred students rumbled an affirmative. "Well it all goes back to last year. You see, every so often, a witch or wizard is born who can control an element..."

Bella told them about the Elements, who the current Holders were, why they had fought Water, Darkness, and now Light and how now was a time for a new order in the world. When the explanation of the Elements finished, Bella explained about the empire, the allies of the empire, who ruled it. That got many incredulous looks and sounds from the gathered crowd.

"I've done what I needed to. I intend to continue forward. I hope you'll all be there with us, instead of against us. We won't kill you, like Voldemort, but we will fight you if we must." Bella warned her fellow teenagers. "Spread the word. Tell your parents, your relatives, everyone and anyone you can think of. Tell them about the Elements, the balance, and tell them our next target is Voldemort." Bella turned to Harry then, who jumped up onto the table to stand beside her. "The empire will fight Voldemort, will fight alongside Harry. There's a new era coming our way. Let's see it together."

A thoughtful silence meet the end of her speech.

Then there was a shuffle and the entire Slytherin table stood up. "If we join you, can you protect us from the vengeance of the Dark Lord?" The Prefect asked.

"I can guarantee it." Bella smirked. "This is not like the last time Voldemort rose. This time the Elements have become involved. And in case you don't know, the elements usually trump crazy psychos with delusions of grandeur."

There was a chuckle before the Slytherins nodded. "We'd like to join you." Many of them called out. Bella inclined her head to her fellow housemates, her eyes prickling a little.

The Ravenclaws stood up then, not the whole house but a good portion of it. Wordlessly they walked over to join the Slytherins, making Luna and Padma clap and cheer for their housemates.

Half the Hufflepuffs joined then. The Gryffindors did not move, and the others who remained from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw joined them. Fred and George booed their fellow Gryffindors, while huffing and grabbing Hermione and Neville into bear hugs, declaring them the only worthy Gryffindors they'd ever met. Bella smiled in spite of the Gryffindor's lack of support. Her Gryffindor Knights were enough for her though.

"What're you gonna do with us, huh?" Ron Weasley's sneer quieted the talk going on. "Gonna throw us in the dungeons?"

Bella snorted. "You'd be a waste of space Weasley." She huffed. "No. You'll be allowed to remain here. I have no intention of disrupting your education. But I am making my father the Headmaster of the school." Lucius looked at her in surprise. "And my godfather will return as Potions Master, as well as deputy headmaster." Now Severus looked at her in surprise.

"You can't do that!" Looking around Bella spotted Umbridge. Her eyes flashed as the woman serenely walked forward, her froggy face in a sickly sweet smile. "As a Minsitry appointed official, I am the only one suitable to gaining the Headmistress post."

"Umbridge, in case you've forgotten, the Minsitry was destroyed thanks to me." Bella laughed at the woman's expression of hate. "Fudge can huff on all he likes, but really he's not in control. And he can't help you anymore. I have more power in my hand than you'll ever have in your entire lifetime. You heard what I just finished saying." Bella stared at the increasingly irate woman and then nodded. "You I am going to throw in the dungeons. Fleur, Luna, Hermione. Take care of her would you?"

Umbridge's face slackened and Fleur used that momentary lapse to create a ring of fire around her, spooking the woman into dropping her wand. Hermione and Luna hurried to bind her up and the three girls escorted the shouting hag out of the room, to the general joy of the gathered people.

"I really don't want to deprive the students of their professors." Bella said to the other professors. "What do you say?"

Dumbledore looked at his colleagues who were speaking quietly to one another. "Aside from the change in Headmaster and Deputy Head, there would be no others?" McGonagall called out. Bella shook her head.

"I've always loved Hogwarts the way it is." Bella promised. "I only need to get rid of Umbridge because she sickens me and Dumbledore." She met the Headmaster's eyes and inclined her head at him.

Dumbledore slowly stood up, his guards pointing their wands at him the whole time. "My time has ended, has it not?"

"Your time as ringleader has ended." Bella clairified. "No more figurehead position for you. No more leading, no more manipulating."

Dumbledore nodded, turning to his fellow professors. "Hogwarts needs you all to remain. I doubt it will be any different than it has been before."

McGonagall and the others nodded. Bella herself nodded as well.

"Dumbledore, Draco will take you to Malfoy Manor. I'll be keeping your wand." Bella said as someone strode forward and handed her the wand. Dumbledore's expression was impassive but his eyes flashed oddly and Bella made a note to ask him about it later. She took the wand in her hands, then turned and gave it to Harry, who blinked.

"Put it somewhere safe." She told him. Harry nodded, pocketing the wand for the moment. Bella answered a few more questions from the staff, and got a few more hecklings from the Gryffindor-ruled faction before McGonagall began taking away house points.

Once the students and professors returned to their quarters, leaving only the Knights and the Elementals, Bella sat down, yawning. "What was that flower thing you gave me Harry?" Bella asked.

Harry sat beside her as they turned to look at Jett, Aurora, and Emily. "Well see, about that." And so he began with that explanation.

* * *

**_Yay! I did it! Whoo! Hahaha! That took a while to get out. _**


	49. The Most Perfect Sleep

**~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot. **

**Three hundred reviews...squee! Thank you for reading everyone!**

* * *

**Part Five **

_**Chapter Forty-Nine: The Most Perfect Sleep**_

"I think we are dying." Aurora said as she studied her wrinkled face. "How curious."

"Dying?" Bella whispered, blinking as the word slipped off her tongue.

"Dying." Jett confirmed, a grin on his lips. "Ah..."

Harry looked at them from his seat at the table in the Room of Requirement. With Dumbledore being kept in a special chamber of the Manor, Umbridge in the Hogwarts dungeons, and the student body back on a regular schedule, Harry was taking tea with Bella and the three Elemental Holders. They'd been discussing the next move Bella should make.

She'd all ready gotten the name of all the Order Members from Dumbledore, and had contacted each of them. She'd gained more allies and made some enemies during those meetings. She'd gotten in touch with Fudge per suggestion of Hermione. Fudge had crumpled in the face of the power of the Elements, but had refused to bow down to a fifteen-year-old witch. Luckily, many of the Minsitry officials weren't as stupid to make an enemy out of the Empress. She'd shown her power just enough to ensure less rebellion when she began forming the Wizarding World of the UK into a true empire.

Back to the discussion at hand though. Aurora and Jett did seem to have aged a great deal in the two weeks since Bella's win over the Light. Jett's hair was nearly completely gray. Aurora's eyes were growing dimmer. Yet they seemed perfectly at ease with the swift changes.

"Dying." Bella repeated, her own gray eyes sparkling with emotion. "Why? I thought you and Jett are Immortal."

"I thought so too. And we were. For the longest time." Aurora replied.

"It's because you have run to the end of your Era." Emily smiled at Aurora and Jett, who each looked at her curiously. "Like Bella said, it is time for a Gray Era. Time for a new order. And time for a new Life and Death."

"I wonder who they will be." Jett mused, unbothered by Emily's bold claim.

Bella looked away from the aging Life and Death, her hand running through her short hair. Harry fondly remembered the first time she'd noticed her new shoulder-length hair. She'd started in utter shock at the different lengths. Her spell added to the awkward angle had left her hair in disarray. So she'd simply evened it out and moved on.

To be honest, Harry did miss the long length. But this new cut suited Bella just as well. She refused any potion or spell to regrow it. For reasons known only to her, since she refused to tell anyone why.

"I think I'm sad." Bella said after petting her hair for several minutes. "That you're dying." She added, looking Jett and Aurora in the eye. She hadn't done that since the night of the battle and Harry had told her they'd made him like her. She'd refused to even talk to any of the three Elemental Holders until a week had passed. She was hurt that they'd purposefully set out to cause her pain. She understood it, but it still hurt.

"Are you?" Aurora asked, a glint of tears in her eyes.

"Yes." Bella nodded. "It's like with Ma- With Veracruz. You manipulated me, but I still find myself caring for you." Bella sighed, shutting her eyes. "Without you, I wouldn't be myself now. So... Thank you... I guess."

Jett and Aurora smiled then reached across the table, hands reaching for Bella. She cautiously took their hands in her own and sighed again.

"So you're going to die." Bella murmured, shaking her head.

"Yes. It will be a relief." Jett murmured. "We have been here for far too long. It is time for us to move on."

Aurora nodded and Bella let go of their hands, looking down at the tabletop.

"I wish you peace." She said before rising from the table. "I have a meeting now."

They nodded and Harry followed her out. They were a floor down before Bella stopped and leaned against a wall. She was crying silently, the tears sliding down her cheeks.

"I never expected them to die." She muttered, letting Harry hold her hand as she continued to cry.

* * *

Bella had decided to better serve her people she had to learn more about them. Which was why she was sitting with Lord Nen and a few of his students as they stood over a dead wolf in the middle of the woods.

"There is power in death." Lord Nen was saying as he gathered some of the wolf's blood. "Power in that which once possessed life. Necromancers harness that power to try and resurrect those who are in death's clutches. That is most foolish. I am certain our empress won't allow that." Lord Nen looked amused as Bella gave a slight jump.

"No." She decided, thinking of her mother and Aurora. Just imagining some idiot trying to bring them back had her shuddering in disgust. "No, that is one type of magic that will not be tolerated."

"And why not?" Someone asked from behind her. Bella scowled.

"The dead belong to Death." She whispered, looking at Lord Nen as he cut off some of the wolf's fur. "Not even the Holder of Death can overrule it. When Death has chosen someone, it is irrevocable and absolute. Everything that lives must eventually die."

As she spoke she thought of Jett and Aurora. Alive since the dawn of creation. Alive and now dying. It made her angry and sad and tore at her beating heart. But she knew that there was nothing for it. Like she'd just said, everything had to die.

"Those are the words of your empress my students." Lord Nen stated with a smile for Bella. "Death is a powerful force, but it must not be tampered with. Terrible consequences await those who dare. Which is why Necromancers are so rare and few. Most people are not arrogant enough to believe they can overrule Death."

He dismissed his students then, ordering them to work on some potion with the blood and fur he'd collected. Then he walked up to Bella who was staring at the dead creature on the ground. "What troubles you, little Empress?"

"Death and Life are dying." Bella told him. "They get older and older every day. I have all this power now...and they've done some terrible things...but still... I wish..."

Lord Nen smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "Why wish for what cannot be? Simply accept it and try to make the best of the situation. That being said, you should go to them. Make the most of their remaining time."

Bella nodded, leaving the Ravenhood member in order to seek out Aurora, who was nearby.

* * *

"I gift you with the Island of Lycoris." Aurora said, handing her a scroll of parchment as she lay in bed. Today she had just not wanted to get up and so Jett had called for Bella. "It and the Garden are yours to use as you see fit."

Bella nodded, sitting beside the woman who had given her life as well. That was what truly made her heart ache.

She'd come to terms with the fact that she'd had two mothers in her lifetime. Her mortal mother was long dead. Now her immortal mother was leaving her as well. The pain overwhelmed any sense of betrayal and hurt she'd been clutching to in the past fortnight since Aurora and Jett proclaimed they were departing the world.

"In the bungalow you'll find all our notes on the uses for the Aku no Hana. Everything there is yours. Just use caution when testing everything out. You are immortal now, but as you can see, that could end when you least expect it." Aurora murmured, reaching up to cup Bella's face. "Don't cry my little Bella. Pretty little blossom." Aurora chuckled as Bella clung to her hand, shutting her gray eyes.

"It's not fair. I don't want you to die." Bella huffed, trying not to cry. She felt she'd cried enough for the rest of her eternity. "I expected to be mad at you and Jett for a year or so. Then I'd make up with you and we'd all be together for a long time. Like a real family should be."

Aurora nodded. "I expected that too, though I thought it'd take more than a year for you to forgive us. Still, this is how things must be." Aurora laughed then. "I can feel it. The new vessel of Life is nearly alive itself. At the moment of its birth, I will die. And my power will be its power." Aurora looked at Bella then. "What a brilliant feeling. Giving life. I hope in my next life I will be able to give life to many children. But you will always be my first. Always a little special. I am sure I will know it, on some deep, undecipherable level."

Bella gave a hearty sniff. "I hope you have lots of kids too... Mother."

The Holder of Life gave her a brilliant smile which seemed to light up the whole room. Jett came up and put his hand on Bella's shoulder. She reached up with one hand to hold it in place.

"Mother..." Aurora repeated, eyes filling up with tears. She shut then with a sigh and soon fell asleep.

"How long?" Bella asked when she was sure Aurora was dreaming.

"Not long now." Jett promised, taking his wife's hand and smiling. "Perhaps another week at most."

"And you?" Bella had to know, so she could try and prepare herself.

"Another month. Maybe less. Life is always difficult to read for me." Jett joked and Bella gave a snort at the attempt of humor.

"You'll always be with her, won't you?" Bella asked as she watched Jett smiling at Aurora.

"I like to believe that." Jett replied. "I'll do whatever I have to. I want my Aurora. Always and forever, only my Aurora."

Bella nodded, getting up and leaving the two alone.

Harry found her. He had the ability to just pinpoint her exact location. Emily had said something about their Aku no Hana being in sync. It was still weird to contemplate that their souls were flowers now. Flowers that metabolized evil, turning it into magical energy, that made them both living and not living. Weird, but comforting.

"She's not getting up from that bed anymore, is she?" Harry asked upon seeing Bella's heartbroken face. She shook her head. "What'll happen to their elements?"

"Aurora and Jett can feel the new Life and Death being born." Bella explained. "She's got a week left. Jett told me so."

Harry felt his heart go out to Jett. From what he understood, Jett had always been with Aurora. For ages upon ages. To watch her die must be agony for Jett, no matter what he knew about death.

"I wonder what it's like. Dying." Harry heard himself muttering. He inwardly cringed, thinking it tactless to say such a thing to Bella. To his relief she merely met his gaze and nodded.

"Me too."

* * *

Lucius Malfoy stood next to Aurora's beside, watching as the woman who looked a century old ran a wrinkled, spotted hand over Bella's short hair. Bella was curled up beside her, sleeping, the occasional hitch in her breathing making it seem like she had a cold. The silvery trail of tears though showed that Bella cried even in her sleep. Jett was sitting at the windowseat for the moment, presumably looking up at the stars.

"So Lucius, what can I do for you?" Aurora asked, her voice as light as a wisp of smoke. Her gray eyes sparkled though with all the vivaciousness of the element she'd held dominion over for so long.

"I wanted to meet you. The one who made my Bella into the girl she has become." Lucius replied smoothly. "And I wished to ask a favor."

"Yes?" Aurora prompted when Lucius fell silent.

"When you get to...well wherever we go after this life..." Lucius looked at Bella and gathered himself. "If you can find them..."

"Did you love them?" Aurora interrupted. "Narcissa and Mireya. Did you love them?"

Lucius was taken aback by the suddeness of the question. He met Aurora's eyes with a fond smile of memory.

"Yes. In their own ways, they were perfect. I loved them both."

"Then there is no need for me to fulfill your favor." Aurora laughed at his surprised expression. "Love has a way of overcoming even death, Lucius Malfoy. Look at me. I like to think I have Bella's love more than scorn."

Looking at the way Bella clung to Aurora's nightgown even in her sleep, Lucius knew she did. And he smiled sadly as he spoke softly into the night, telling Aurora and Jett many things about a variety of subjects.

* * *

Harry didn't know why he was with Aurora at the moment it happened. He never would, he supposed.

But it was just he and Aurora in Aurora's room. Jett was getting a shower. Bella was speaking with the ambassador from the French Ministry.

Harry looked at Aurora as she looked out a window. Jett had put her on the windowseat on her request. The sun was close to setting and Aurora was smiling in silent amusement.

"Did you know 'aurora' means 'dawn'?" She asked out of the blue. Harry shook his head. "Funny then, isn't it? That my life will end with a sunset. The dawn ending at sunset. Sounds poetic."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, stomach clenching as Aurora continued to stare out the window.

"Take care of each other. Make sure that when she is in danger of falling, you are there to catch her. And if you fight, which you will from time to time, remember to apologize. Never keep secrets from each other. Don't give up on each other.. Even if your empire crumbles or your spirits falter. " Aurora sighed as her body sagged and Harry hurried to her side, shouting for someone, even as the light left her gray gaze.

Harry caught her, setting her gently on the floor. Before his eyes a soft, white glow seeped out of her body, pooling around her like blood for a moment. Then it was rising, with a sound of children's laughter, and the sunset gave a final flash of light before disappearing completely into the horizon.

Jett entered just in time to witness the power of Life leaving his wife and as he knelt beside her, he felt it entering another.

Harry hurried out of the room once Jett arrived, rushing into the unused classroom McGonagall had suggested for Bella's meeting. The door opened before he reached it, to reveal the teary face of his girlfriend.

"She's gone?" Bella asked, hoping Harry would deny it. Harry nodded once, catching her as her knees gave out.

"Dammit." Bella cursed, not caring that the ambassador was watching her. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

"You knew she was dying." Harry tried to reason as the girl pounded her fists weakly against his arms and chest.

"That's not why I'm mad!" Bella shouted, scowling up at the ceiling. "I didn't get to say goodbye." She whispered so softly only Harry heard her. Then she was running, hurrying towards Aurora's room.

"What iz going on?" The ambassador asked pompously Harry as he entered the room. "This iz most-"

"Please forgive my empress." Harry said in a tone of voice that clearly implied 'shut the hell up'. "Her mother and fellow Elemental Holder just died."

The ambassador looked properly chided. Harry was about to tell him he should reschedule when something made him sit down. "I may not hold a title yet in the empress's court, but I can continue this meeting for her."

"You?" The ambassador took in his oversized clothes and then his eyes somehow found the scar. He uttered softly in French, then sat back in the chair he must had conjured for himself. "Very well. I will speak with you."

Harry nodded, took a deep breath, then picked up the notes Bella must have been reading. "So what were you and the empress discussing?"

* * *

Jett smiled down at the grave. It was on the island. Only Bella, her Knights and family, and Emily had attended the small funeral. Severus had conducted the rites.

The waves splashed against some rocks and the roar of the surf lulled Jett as he continued to face the grave. It was on a small hill, where the sun would hit it first thing every morning.

His own days were short and few now. He could feel it. Leaving him steadily, like sand filling an hourglass. Soon he'd join Aurora down there, in the earth. He had to chuckle. His daughter was Earth and he'd be put in the earth once his life left his body. Oh the mechanations of life, how oddly perfect they were.

He was proud of his life, minus the having to hurt Bella part. He was proud of everything he'd done in it. His only regret was hurting his creation, his daughter, and of course not getting to know her better.

It was enough that he knew her now. And Emily had taken him into the future, so he could see the world that Bella would be a part of. It had been a glorious place.

"You shouldn't be alone." Bella whispered. She'd lost her voice because of all the shouting she'd done when she'd reached Aurora's room two nights ago. Screamed her throat raw. Jett had let her, because he of all people knew what Death did to a person. He knew the grief of it. He was sad he'd inflict that on Bella once he left too.

"It won't be so bad you know." Jett told her, allowing her to take his hand and tug him away from Aurora's grave. He'd be joining her soon enough, so she wouldn't get lonely. "Like sleeping. It'll be like that."

"Except you'll never breathe or wake up again." Bella countered with a slight wheeze in her words.

"Yes, except for that." Jett laughed as she sent him a glare. He knew that the softening in her glare had to do with the fact that his once onyx hair was pure white now. His eyes were slightly filmy. His skin was wrinkled and sagged in places and held spots in others. He had hunched over a bit, lost his height and ability to tower over people.

"I hated that at first." Bella told him then. "How you could smile like nothing was wrong in the world. It reminded me of Baldur. I still hate it."

Jett smiled and saw her scowl. "Unlike with Baldur though, I smile like nothing is wrong because for me nothing is. My life was good. Long. Filled with happiness." He hugged Bella then. "These last few years have been the best though." He promised her making her start crying again.

"I can't stop crying." Bella growled, wiping at her eyes. Jett laughed and hugged her again.

"I hope you never do. The day you stop crying is the day you stop feeling. And I want you to feel for the rest of your life."

Something wet landed on Bella's forehead then and she looked up to see tears leaking out of Jett's eyes, into his wrinkles, down his cheeks, and onto the ground.

"Stalker." Bella hiccuped after a while. Jett laughed.

"Earth Girl." He replied, kissing her forehead softly and taking her hand now. "Let's get some grub in you. Can't have the empress starving, can we?"

* * *

Jett went quietly in his sleep a few days later. Bella and Harry watched over him from sunrise until past midnight. Jett never woke up that day. He only breathed and dreamt.

They stood quietly. Two fifteen-year-olds who looked normal. On the inside though, deep inside, in places no one could see, they weren't. They held the power of immortals. They were powerful. They had much left to do. An empire to build, an evil to defeat, and magic to share with their people.

When the clock chimed midnight, Jett's breathing changed. It hitched and stopped, only to start again. It wasn't until slightly before one in the morning that he finally slipped away for good.

Bella didn't shout this time. First of all she couldn't with her voice still mostly gone. Secondly because it would do no good. Death once dealt was irrevocable.

Harry put an arm around her silently, just loaning her his shoulder to cry on.

This time they both witnessed Jett's power pool around him, a puddle of ink, before it too vanished into the sky with the sound of bones rattling.

* * *

"And now they sleep the most perfect sleep."

Bella looked up to find Emily smiling down at the freshly dug grave. The Time Holder knelt beside Bella, throwing a cloak over the girl. It was raining fiercely today, but Bella hadn't been able to make herself go inside the bungalow. The rain was cleansing and she could cry and no one would tell.

"They're not sleeping." Bella argued, eyeing the names of her immortal parents. Jett and Aurora Olexei. Life and Death. No dates of birth, only dates of death. In time their remains would decay, becoming a true piece of the earth that sheltered them now.

"They are. Their bodies are dead yeah, but their spirits are at rest. In that whatever that waits for us after we leave this world, they are resting." Emily replied, smiling when Bella finally met her gaze. "Resting, waiting to return."

"It sounds nice, put that way." Bella murmured, her eyes sliding closed.

The two girls sat in silence for a while before Emily rose to her feet. Bella watched as she dropped into a deep bow.

"Empress of the Elements, Bella Luciana Malfoy, I wish to become your Knight. To serve you faithfully and watch over you. Not just because I know Jett and Aurora would like me to keep an eye on you. But also for the sake of making up for all the pain I helped cause. Let me be a Knight. I wish to be part of the empire and the future too."

Bella was going to say no, because she reasoned she ought to based on principle. But her heart was too raw to hold onto that vindictiveness at the moment. So she got up and put a hand on Emily's shoulder, squeezing it to make Emily look at her.

"I will need another Knight. Harry won't be one for much longer, so it would be good to keep everything balanced out." Bella smiled when Emily looked at him in shock. "Did you expect me to say no?"

"Yes." Emily replied, making Bella laugh. A real laugh.

"Glad to see I've still got it then." Taking a breath, Bella cast Jett and Aurora's tombstone one last look. "Sleeping the most perfect sleep... Huh." She walked away, Emily following her, thinking that perhaps that wasn't such a misleading description after all.

* * *

At the end of the year feast, it was Bella who stood up and addressed her fellow students first.

"The times are changing. I intend to be at the fore of those changes. I want to make our world into an empire. I want to return to our old ways. The roots of magic, which began long before even Merlin graced the lands. Maybe because I hold the power of a great Element, I can see more clearly than others that there is no darkness without light. No good without bad. That's the same with magic."

"To hold the true potential of magic in our hands, we must grasp both the Light and Dark Arts. We must find the balance between both sets of magic, combine them, and make them into one. Let us go forth, each and every one of us, with our heads and wands held high. With our hearts open to what lurks both in darkness and in light. With our eyes fixed on a different tomorrow, full of possiblity, of power, and of life."

"Don't be afraid of the shadows. Don't trust completely in the light. Find the balance. Find peace. And above all, find happiness. Because I've come to learn that at the end of it all, you'll only be left with those basic things. Peace or regret, happiness or sorrow."

"Balance. Life is about balance. All sorts of people will try to throw you off, try to sway you, try to define you. Don't let them make up your mind for you. Fight for your happiness, for your life, for your right to choose."

"I can't promise you a perfect Utopia, I'm not that full of myself. I know there will be tough times, and times when I will even doubt myself. It won't be perfect. Nothing ever is. But I'm going to work hard to make our world as perfect as possible. I'm sure I can do that, with a little help."

Bella looked around at the divided hall. The Gryffindor set were all ignoring her or sneering or whispering loudly as if Bella wasn't speaking. The Slytherin set were all listening politely, shooting looks at the other side of the hall, eyes narrowed or wide. Bella laughed. She laughed happily because in this hall were all sorts of people, full of their own power and their own opinions, and half of them hated her guts. But she was fine with that. She'd fight for the ones who hated her too. Even if they didn't believe she wanted the best for them. Even if they died hating her and never appreciated what she was doing.

She was more than ready now. Ready to help Harry face Voldemort. Ready to truly begin to build the empire. Ready to take on the world.

For everything she'd ever lost, and everything she had yet to gain.

Harry smiled at her as she met his gaze and gave her a thumbs up. She grinned at that.

"Thank you all, by the way." Bella added, looking at the Slytherin-led half of the students. "For showing a little slip of a girl your support. I'll do my best for you. For all of you." She added, looking around the room.

The Slytherin half began clapping, cheering, whistling. The Gryffindor half scowled and clapped once or twice before stopping. Bella let them. Freedom. That's what the main goal was from the start. So they were free to scorn her all they liked.

"I believe you forgot something." Severus said as she began to turn to her seat. Bella looked confused until he looked over at Harry. Bella gave a jolt then before a wide smirk overtook her face.

"I believe I did." She replied, walking over to where Harry stood and pulling him to the center of the room. "Harry James Potter, Imperial Knight of the Empire..." Bella grinned as Harry nodded with a smile at the title. "From this day forth, you are no longer my Knight."

Whispers went up immediately, especially among her Knights. Draco just snorted and Bella heard him mutter something about theatrics.

Harry looked crushed. She smiled at him serenely and continued.

"You are no longer my Knight, because I've decided to promote you." She said clearly. Harry's smile and eyes were wide as she laughed. "As if I'm stupid enough to get rid of you. Really Harry? After all these years you're capable of thinking that of me?"

Harry didn't reply. He squared his shoulders instead and pulled her to him, giving her a brilliant kiss that had her gasping as tingles of delight ran down her spine and filled her head with multi-colored bubbles.

A cough had them pulling apart, to find Sevrus's eyebrow twitching and Lucius looking sternly at Harry. In the sudden silence they could have heard a pin drop. Instead they heard, from somwhere to their left, Sirius's barklike laugh.

"Nice one kid!" Sirius praised his godson, making giggles erupt. Severus glared murderously at Sirius while Lucius just sighed and shook his head.

Bella laughed as Harry hugged her, in spite of his blush and the hundreds of eyes glued to them. "So what am I getting promoted to?" Harry asked, reaching up to push a strand of Bella's hair behind her ear.

"Ambassador. For now anyway. Who knows about later?" Bella replied mischievously making Harry blush for just a second. Then his eyes took on a shine of their own as he leaned down to kiss her again.

"Yeah, who knows." He muttered, ignoring the wolf whistles that came this time around.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore hummed idly as he walked amongst the flowers. With his wand safely in Harry's possession and his magic bound, he was allowed out of the room he'd been given at Malfoy Manor. He was grateful since it was shaping up to be a lovely summer.

His head was clear here. Clearer than it had been in ages. He lamented over some of his mistakes and the most foolish one of thinking he could ever be any sort of leader outside of a school.

"Beating yourself up about it?" A quiet voice asked. Albus chuckled, turning to look at Harry.

"Hello my dear boy." Albus couldn't shake off the habit of calling him that. Unlike the last two times he had though, Harry allowed it. He even smiled.

"Hello sir." Harry replied, joining Albus on his uncharted walk amongst perfectly kept flowers and lawns. "It's so orgainized, these public gardens. Want to see Bella's private ones? They're brilliant."

Surprised but liking this change in Harry's attitude, Albus agreed. The boy led the old man to the southern grounds, where the private gardens were kept tidy by the house-elves but were in no way neatly organized. Ever since coming into her elemental powers, Bella had liked letting her flowers grow wild.

The lake could be seen from the garden they entered, and Albus saw most of Bella's Knights frolicked in the water, enjoying the start of their summer holidays. Bella herself was nowhere to be seen.

Draco paused on his way to the lake when he spotted Harry and Dumbledore standing side by side. He was about to go and eavesdrop when he felt a gentle push on his back.

"They need to find their balance too." Severus said to his godson as he headed for a greenhouse. Draco frowned but heeded his godfather's words.

"Bell's made me her official ambassador." Harry told Albus as they settled on a bench in the middle of climbing vines and wild rose bushes.

"I had heard. It must be quite an honor." Albus replied. Harry grinned.

"I was a bit scared, when she said I wasn't her knight anymore. I didn't want to leave her side." Harry murmured, thinking back to that moment when his heart had stood on the edge of breaking.

Albus smiled at those words. "Those in love rarely wish to leave the side of the one they love."

Harry jolted and Albus smiled still. "Love. That's what it is then."

"Oh yes my boy, I am most sure of it." Albus replied making Harry blush. Then Harry laughed, making Albus's heart lighten at the sound. If Harry could still laugh then perhaps he hadn't caused as much damage as he'd feared.

"Bell wants to give you your magic back. She just wants to make sure she won't regret it." Harry said once he had calmed down. "So I promised to come see you and figure out if she should."

Albus was astounded by these children before him. Still so young, still not adults, yet showing more brains than many adults he'd ever met, even those well advanced in their years.

"I have truly seen the error of my ways Harry. I will continue to accept the consequences of my actions, with or without my magic." Albus stated and Harry smiled at him.

"Would you be willing to join our side sir? Not fight or anything but at least give Bell your support? She's having trouble with most of the wizarding leaders here in the UK, because they figure since you're not showing your support, Bell must be full of sh-er well you know." Harry curbed his tongue but Albus still chuckled. He sobered though and looked up at the sky.

That made it twice now that he'd fought for the greater good and failed. Twice, because both times he'd been blind to what blinded him. Grindlewald the first time, and the Light Holder the second time. He'd been duped and sadly still had allowed himself to be duped.

Perhaps this was the chance to redeem himself. Third time's the charm, as the saying went.

"And I could use help too. Bell's promised I have the empire's full support but..." Harry reached up to trace his scar. "Baldur was her enemy. Voldemort is mine. I want to defeat him and make the world into a better place. For the sake of the future. For my parents. For all the people who can't fight him, who've lost something because of him. I could use all the help I can get."

Albus smiled, his heart filling more and more of the cracks as he nodded. "I will support you and your fair lady's empire. I will."

Harry's beaming face made it worth it. All the consequences that he was sure he would someday be held accountable for. All the things he'd have to pay for. Seeing this extraordinary young man smiling so happily made whatever came with the new future worth it, in Albus's mind.

Mentor and boy rose from the bench, heading inside the manor, where beasts mingled with wizards, where Light and Dark magic co-existed peacefully, and where a young empire was beginning to grow.

* * *

**End Part Five**

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* * *

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_**And that is the last of Year Five! Whoo! Yay! Don't worry there's still plenty to go! Voldemort wasn't killed in a day after all. ^^. **_


	50. The Makings of a Lord

**~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot. **

**If I stick to the plan, there's only about ten-twelve chapters left in this tale. _If_. Y'all know by now how me and schedules work out ^^;.**

* * *

**Part Six **

_**Chapter Fifty: The Makings of a Lord **_

Life was a boy this time. Born in Russia. Blonde and green-eyed. His home was warm and very big, with six older brothers and sisters to keep him company as he grew.

Death was a boy too. Born in Ireland. His chocolate eyes were filled with mischievous light and framed with auburn curls. His home was small. He was the first child for his young parents. Bella hoped there would be more someday though.

Emily had told her about them when she'd finally gotten enough emotional strength to ask. Emily had said someday in the future Life and Death would join her court. Bella looked forward to that day.

However this was the present and the present required all her focus. She was in meetings practically everyday with creatures and leaders and humans. With Dumbledore's public declaration of his support of the empire in mid-July, Bella had gotten less resistence from many prominent figureheads. Some of the Order Memebers refused to follow Dumbledore though, and swore to bring rebellion on her head. She had laughed a little at that.

She had an army now. Growing steadily every day with warriors willing to fight for her cause. They were not Knights though, as Bella had made it abundantly clear her Knights were a select group. Only the brightess and finest would ever claim that title.

Her Knights had begun to learn the art of combat as well though. They'd insisted. Bella had thought of sparing them but they had just gone ahead and done what they wanted. Harry had told her it was because they all loved her so much. That had made Bella's day, hearing that she was loved by so many.

Draco was nearly just as busy as she was. As the Prince of the Empire, Draco had his own duties. He would sit in on the meetings, delegate between their existing allies, provide whatever was needed, he drew up most of the treaties and documents that were steadily becoming necessary. No matter how busy both siblings were though, at the end of every day they would make room for tea and enjoy each other's company.

It was Draco that had stepped up when Bella was mourning for Aurora and Jett. He'd handled all the meetings and gone through all the headaches while giving Bella her time to gather herself again. It had been the least he could do.

Harry, as Ambassador, was usually helping one or the other, depending on who needed him more that day.

Blaise hovered more around Bella, feeding her useful tidbits of information that he got from his mother's many numerous snoops.

The Weasley twins were busy using their inventing genius to come up with marvelous toys for when they faced off against Voldemort and his own growing numbers.

Neville worked with Severus most of the day, shocking as that was. Neville's extensive knowledge of plants aided Severus in his potion's endeavours. So when not training with the warriors, he was in the greenhouses.

Hermione was to be found in the library of course, reading up on everyone of their allies to the fullest extent possible within the safety of the manor walls.

Luna would spend most of her free time in the middle of a mini-tornado, listening to the wind and then reporting what she heard to Bella.

Fleur was a liasion between the Veelas and Bella. And thanks to Dumbledore's support, Bill Weasley was Bella's liasion to the goblins of Gringotts.

Padma enjoyed taking care of their guests, the ones who stayed instead of returning to their homes at the end of each day. Which lifted a great weight from Bella's shoulder, since she usually felt obligated to do that, seeing as how she was the only female Malfoy in the manor.

Crabbe and Goyle were charged with protection. One was always with one Malfoy. They tended to relay all of the Malfoys orders to the Warriors, something that gratified them very much, since they were in charge for once.

Viktor had tasked himself with meeting with the vampires that would show up. It turned out one of his cousins had been turned into one a few years ago, and had joined a rather large coven. He knew all the rules and customs that would need to be observed, so as not to offend the vampires who came seeking to ally with the Empire.

Emily spent a good deal of time with Dumbledore these days. They sat together in the study given to Dumbledore for hours at a time, and when asked why, neither answered. A little irritating, that, but Bella let it go for the moment. Emily was her Knight now, and Dumbledore had sworn to not try and mess with Bella's plans. He'd help, not hinder. He'd better not, or Bella would make him sorry.

Her Knights were working hard to live up to the prestige that Bella had given the title. She couldn't be prouder of them if she tried.

They would all have to be ready. Their first battle with Voldemort was brewing. Churning slowly towards an apex that Bella knew would test the faith of those pledging themselves to her vision of the future. She hoped they would not falter.

* * *

"I'm not going back." Bella stated as she skimmed through a report on Voldemort's allies during the first war. It was helping her figure out who she needed to target before they were once more swayed to the dark side.

"What do you mean you're not going back?" Hermione demanded, expression aghast. "You have to. You can't leave your education half finished!"

"I won't. I'll get tutors and sit the exams and all that." Bella said calmly, looking up at her friend. "I just won't go back to Hogwarts. There's too much that needs to be done. Warriors to train, allies to make, battles to plan."

"You can do that from Hogwarts. And it's even safer!" Hermione argued but Bella shook her head.

"No. I'm staying right here." Bella's voice left no room for argument and so Hermione whirled around, stomping out of the girl's study and slamming the door. Bella gave a wince then just sighed fondly. Some things never changed. Which was a good thing. She had plenty of change going on as it were.

A knock had her calling out and into the room stepped Dumbledore of all people. "Do you have a moment, Bella?" He asked, eyes moving over the mess of papers on her desktop.

"I always have a moment, sir." Bella replied. "For now at least. I'm starting to see why kings and queens let others handle most of the paperwork. I thought I could do it on my own but it's catching up to me."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Sharing your power does not weaken you Bella. Remember that."

"I will." She promsied, setting the paper down. "So what can I do for you sir?"

"I have come to discuss what exactly Emily and I have been doing these past few weeks." Dumbledore said. "You see, I have been researching for many years now how Voldemort has managed to evade death. I believed I had found the answer, and needed Emily to confirm it. She has been taking me into the past to collect more evidence and now I believe I have enough. However, I wish to only share this information with Harry for the moment. I will leave it up to him if he wishes to divulge it to you."

Bella nodded a few times before smirking a little. "Well at least I know what you were doing. I see nothing wrong with just telling Harry for now. He'll tell me when he's good and ready, I'm sure." She grew serious then. "It will help him defeat Voldemort, won't it?"

"Most definitely." He assured her.

"Then I say start sooner rather than later." Bella smiled as Dumbledore rose from his seat. "The sooner Voldemort is gone, the sooner we can focus on living."

The old wizard left with a small smile of his own and Bella returned to her own research.

* * *

Harry still found it amazing. His power had definitely grown since the Aku no Hana was implanted in his body. He was preforming wandless magic at the moment. Flower petals were raining down around him and he was turning the stone bench into metal then wood then clay then back to stone. The grass under his feet kept growing, dying, growing, dying. Music was coming from somewhere as he waved his hand in an arch and the petals became Snitches that fluttered all around in a crazy sort of dance.

Sirius watched from another bench as Harry played with his magic. He couldn't believe how easily Harry was controlling the magic. All without spells or silly swishes of his wand. Only his thought and a flick of his wrist. Such power... He could do all sorts of things with that power. Sirius was both proud and in awe of his godson. Harry's magic surrounded him, tickling his skin as it reached out to do Harry's bidding. There was no doubt that Harry could more than hold his own against any of the Element Holders now.

"I need to learn more spells." Harry said to him out of the blue. "I have all this magic now. It itches to get out. I can feel it all Sirius. It's in everything. It's...beautiful...free..." Harry's voice trailed off, the Snitches becoming petals once more before bursting into flames. "But I don't want more and I don't want less." He continued in a more serious tone. "I have enough. I feel perfectly full. Nothing's empty."

He closed his hand into a fist, smirking deviously. Sirius flashed back for a moment to James Potter. That look was just so reminiscent of James when he had hatched a brilliant if slightly evil scheme.

"I can crush Voldemort. I didn't really believe it before. But now it seems so simple. Course I know it won't be. It'll be a fight, a big one, no doubt about that. But I will not die and Voldemort will not win." Harry's devious smirk showed more teeth as he looked up at Sirius, green eyes glittering.

"I know." Sirius said with a smirk of his own. "I'm going to be right there with you. And we'll kick Dark Lord butt."

Harry laughed, walking over to hug the man fiercely. "Yeah. For everyone. For each other." He pulled back to smile and Sirius could only smile in return.

* * *

Harry walked into the study where Dumbledore had asked him to meet. It was July 30th. Tomorrow he would be sixteen. It was funny how even in the middle of all the changes going on in their world, Bella still had managed to get everyone together to arrange a birthday party for him.

"Ah Harry my boy, come in." Dumbledore smiled as Harry shut the door and strode over to sit down in the chair opposite from Dumbledore's. Between them stood a stool and on top of that was a stone basin Harry recalled as a Pensive. On a table next to Dumbledore's chair there were a few vials filled with the same substance that was currently filling the Pensive.

"You must be wondering what we are doing here tonight." Dumbledore asked once Harry was settled. Harry nodded. Dumbledore hadn't been very forthcoming in the details department when he'd stopped Harry in the hall earlier in the day and asked for this meeting. "Well Harry, considering all that has occurred these last few weeks, indeed this last year, I believe it is now time for you to be giving certain information. For you to learn why Voldemort sought out to kill you all those years ago."

Harry blinked at that. "Only certain information?" Harry wondered. Dumbledore smiled.

"You will be given every answer Harry. I assure you of that." Dumbledore held up a vial. "With Emily's aid I have begun collecting memories from people who have had dealings with Voldemort. Few who knew him in school wished to share their memories of him. That is where Emily came in." Dumbledore sighed. "But before we view these memories Harry, I will reveal to you the catalyst which forced Voldemort to target you and your family."

Harry gulped. He'd always wondered that. Always. Now Dumbledore was going to tell him.

"There is a prophecy Harry. One of you and Voldemort. It was given to me by Sybill Trelawney. A spy overheard it being told to me, but only the first half. Thus Voldemort did not realize there was danger in attacking you and your family."

Harry sat there stunned for a long moment. Slowly the words made sense in his head, making him suck in a deep breath.

"A prophecy." The words rang in the silence of the room. "What does it say?"

Dumbledore uncorked the vial in his hand and poured it into the Pensive. He tapped it with his wand and a ghostly image of Trelawney appeared.

"_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. … Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not … and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. … The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…_"

Dumbledore tapped the Pensive again once Trelawney finished speaking. She disappeared into the silvery-white substance and silence blanketed them once more.

"What does that mean?" Harry asked after a while, his eyes narrowed in thought. "That one bit. Neither can live..."

"While the other survives." Dumbledore nodded. "It used to be the honest truth." He admitted which made Harry jerk. "However..." Dumbledore's eyes went to Harry's scar. "Emily described to me what occurred when Jett and Aurora infused your soul with the Aku no Hana. I am quite certain the Prophecy has changed, or become null and void."

"Why?" Harry wondered, remembering the pain that had gathered around his forehead at that time.

"Emily described a black oozing substance that poured out of your scar during that time." Dumbledore explained. "Jett identified it as the fragment of another's soul."

"Someone's soul was inside me?" Harry shuddered. That just sounded so creepy.

"Only a fragment. But yes, there was a piece of someone else inside you." Dumbledore smiled.

"Whose?" Harry wondered. Dumbledore said nothing, only smiling encouraging as Harry's eyes floated over to the Pensive. "No... It couldn't... Could it?"

Dumbledore picked up another vial. "During these lessons Harry, the answer shall become clear. Shall we proceed now, or do you wish for a moment to gather yourself."

Harry was a little annoyed at the evasion but then he pushed it aside. He wanted the direct answer but then again he'd probably just have a lot more questions after getting it. Dumbledore might have made a few mistakes here and there, but he knew what he was doing most of the time.

"No, I'm ready now sir." Harry said as Dumbledore poured the next vial into the Pensive.

"Then let us begin. This is the memory of Bob Ogden..."

* * *

"Merope Gaunt." Bella repeated, looking out the window as Harry and she sat in her study. "Voldemort's mother."

"Yep." Harry nodded, biting into a pastry the house-elves had set out.

"And you had someone's soul fragment in you before the Aku no Hana was put in you?"

"That's what Jett said apparently."

"And there was a prophecy about you and Voldemort."

"But now it's null and void."

"Because the soul fragment was Voldemort's and that has something to do with all this?" Bella shook her head.

"It will help me though. Fight Voldemort. Destroy him once and for all." Harry smirked, something glittering in his eye as he did so. Bella had noticed Harry's confidence had gone through the roof once they had fought Baldur. His power was greater too. Far greater than ever before. He wasn't holding back. Nothing could anymore, she thought.

"When's your next lesson?" Bella asked.

"Next week. Dumbledore doesn't want to overwhelm me, he said." Harry replied as someone knocked. "Enter."

The person at the door was George. "Hey you two. Erm... Busy?"

"No. What is it George?" Bella saw his face was a bit wooden. "What happened?"

"Nothing bad, not really but..." He sighed. "Mum and Dad are here with Ron and Ginny."

"What?" Harry and Bella spluttered. George smirked.

"I am not lying. My other brothers are here too."

"What do they want?" Harry wondered then.

"Well I don't know about Mum and Dady or Ron and Ginny." George admitted. "But Charlie and Percy want to talk about joining the warriors. Well Percy probably wants a political type of deal..."

Harry looked at Bella who was chewing her lip. "How about you talk to Percy and Charlie and I'll talk to the others?"

Bella smiled, looking relieved. "Yeah. Hey George, do you mind bringing your older brothers here?"

"Will do Empress." George promised.

"I'll go and meet the others then." Harry said, getting up from his seat and smiling at Bella. "When's that party starting?"

"In two hours." Bella reminded him. "And Draco said something about getting you dressed up so no trying to escape."

Harry sighed. Draco and the others had started teaching Harry all about etiquette and acting like a lord should. They said it was important if he planned to date the Empress. He agreed secretly.

"Presenting his eminence, Lord Potter, Ambassador of the Empire." George boomed as they stepped into the entrance hall, making Harry give him a faint glare which he only returned with an elaborate bow. Fred mimicked his twin along with the Knights, who were standing on the steps of the grand staircase wearing looks ranging from openly hostile to pensive. When George announced Harry though the looks were replaced with friendliness and pride.

The Weasleys gaped openly as Harry strode forward. Harry was sure it was because of the bowing as he strode forward. Then again it could be that he was wearing clothing that was more expensive than he cared to recall (thanks to Draco) or the way he stood taller (the confidence of being more powerfully magical than nearly anyone in the world).

"I'm surprised you're all here." Harry said in the following quiet. He pushed his glasses up his nose and looked from the Weasley parents to their children. Ron looked grumpy, Ginny was blushing as she looked at him, while their elder brothers were stone-faced and their parents looked wary.

"We wished to speak with Bella." Molly said then, regaining herself.

"Her Majesty does not wish to speak with you." Harry replied, noting with a bit of shock how cold his voice had turned. Maybe hanging out with Slytherins was changing him more than he thought? "Considering how she has been treated by many members of your family, I do not fault her for that."

They were staring at Harry again. The Knights too were looking at him with pride.

"She is willing to meet with Percy and Charlie however, since they have not done anything to her personally." He turned to the elder boys. "George and Fred will escort you to her study if that is agreeable with you."

"That is perfectly agreeable." Percy answered for them. Fred and George stepped forward then, bowing and winking at Harry who smiled at them.

"Before you go," Harry called as they began to walk to the western wing. "I will find out if you insult her." He smirked then, lifting a hand so that a ball of crackling yellow light appeared in it. "And though I'm no longer a Knight in name, I will defend my Empress. Understood?"

Percy and Charlie's eyes widened then they nodded, turning to follow their younger brothers through the door which would take them to Bella. Harry made the light disappear and turned back to find four shocked Weasleys.

"Now then, as to you four..." Harry smirked again. Sirius had told him he looked a little evil when he smirked in such a cool fashion.

"What's this?" Draco's voice called from the top of the stairs. The Knights parted and dipped into bows as he descended them, his cold gray eyes on the Weasleys. "What are they doing here? Who allowed them inside?"

"I did." Turning, they all looked at Lucius who was smirking as he walked forward to stand behind Harry. Draco walked over to take a place next to him, pausing to nod in greeting before returning his glare at the Weasleys. "I figured our Empress should be allowed to exact a little revenge." Lucius continued explaining.

"She does not want revenge." Harry said, rolling his eyes then. "She's speaking with Percy and Charlie right now. I offered to speak to these Weasleys on her behalf."

"Well then get on with it." Draco demanded.

"Harry dear, can we please speak more privately?" Molly asked then, using that motherly tone that had often gotten Harry to cave.

"No can do Molly." Sirius appeared now, standing with the Knights on the steps. "First of all, you can't call Harry 'dear' after everything that's gone on this last year. Secondly, Harry's the ambassador of the empire, so know private meetings with potentially hostile guests." Sirius took up a place next to Lucius.

"I can speak for myself." Harry grumped good-naturedly.

Ron looked ready to burst into shouts as Harry met his gaze. To think, he'd once been best friends with such a jealous and angry person.

"Harry, we wished to offer our apologizes to Bella." Arthur said then, taking over since his wife seemed a little incapable of it at the moment. "And to seek a place in this new order she is building. Our sons and many of my fellow Ministry workers have told us of what she said during the end of the year feast. I want to protect my family, and since so many of my children seem inclined to work for Bella's vision, then I feel I ought to as well."

Harry met Arthur's eyes then. Those blue eyes were honest behind their lopsided glasses.

"You'd have to be willing to adhere to every change going on Mr. Weasley." Harry cautioned. "Meaning you will have to bow to the empress and address her as such. Her will is to be obeyed. Her word is law, to be followed as such. Dissenter," Harry smiled frigidly at Ron and Ginny, "are more than welcome. But they too are expected to show respect to the rising sovereign."

Arthur shared a look with his wife then stared at his youngest children. "You have my word, on behalf of _all _the Weasleys, that we will respect the empress and all her laws. I even offer myself into her service, in whatever capacity she sees fit to put me in."

Harry smiled kindly then. "Your highness?" He turned to Draco then who was looking resigned and annoyed.

"Knowing my sister, she will accept your pledge Mr. Weasley." Draco said then. "But let me just expand on what Harry said. You will also respect me, as I am the Prince of this empire. And Potter is a Lord now, meaning he deserves the same. Our parental figures are to be treated with respect and not be harassed in anyway. If you agree to that as well then I will welcome you to the Manor."

Arthur nodded slowly. "Again, you have my word that it will be so."

Draco chuckled, turning away and shrugging. "Then welcome to the Manor. Granger, give them the tour and set them up would you?"

Hermione stepped down from the stairs, bowing to Draco and smiling. "As you wish, highness." Harry saw Ron's jaw drop at that. Hermione straightened up and turned to the Weasleys. "If you'll follow me then." She motioned to the door that would take them to the eastern wing. That wing had been under magical renovation and could now house at least a hundred guests. Currently it was mostly empty, since the people who stayed there on a regular basis were the ones who worked full time with the empire.

Fleur, Padma, Luna and Emily followed Hermione and the Weasleys as they left. The rest gathered around Harry and Draco.

"Now then Potter, come on." Draco said, taking his hand and dragging him back to the western wing. That wing too had been magically renovated. Now instead of just housing the family it held the Knights and people like Bill Weasley and Harry, who held high titles in the empire.

Lucius and Sirius moved toward Bella's study while Draco dragged Harry up the stairs to Harry room. "Now then, we've got less than an hour to get you looking presentable for all the guests, who are going to start arriving any minute now. You're a Lord now Potter, which means you have to look more like one." Draco babbled as he pulled a box from under Harry's bed. "Consider this my birthday present to you." Draco said with a smirk as he flipped the box open and pulled out several articles of clothing, among them a set of expensive looking robes. "

Like it?" Draco wondered, holding up the dark green robe with the golden thread along the hem and sleeves. "Blaise, hit him with that charm."

"It's for temporarily correcting someone's vision." Blaise explained as Draco began fussing with unfolding everything.

"Er, why?" Harry wondered as Draco commanded him to start undressing.

"Potter, you're a Lord. And this little party is in celebration of your sixteenth birthday. Meaning you have to look your best in front of the guests." Draco explained with a tone that made it seem as if he were constantly reminding Harry of this fact. "Now let Blaise correct your vision and get dressed. We have to get ready too."

Harry sighed and nodded, letting Blaise fix his eyesight. He blinked a few times to get used to seeing without his specs then he turned to his clothing. He smiled. Who would have thought that he would be celebrating his sixteenth birthday in a manor, being treated like a lord, and dating an empress?

"It's pretty funny Mum, Dad." He said as he buttoned up his shirt. He paused as he looked over at the framed photo of them, in the center of the mantle, surrounded by pictures of his friends. "Isn't it?"

Draco and Blaise returned just as he did up the laces of the robe. They attacked his hair then, taming it some with a product that they'd ordered specifically for him. They made sure he looked just like his station and title implied. Lordly.

And when they led him into the already packed ballroom, nearly an hour later, the room burst into applause and cheers and shouts of 'Happy Birthday!'

* * *

_**Yes I've brought the Weasleys back. I like Arthur, but he wouldn't come without his wife and kids, so I compromised. ^^. **_


	51. Plans Disturbed

**~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot. **

**Just out of curiosity...which title do y'all like more? The English or Japanese? **

* * *

**Part Six **

_**Chapter Fifty-One: Plans Disturbed**_

"Africa?" Hermione was frowning as Blaise nodded. "Why all the way there?"

Blaise chuckled at her pout, brushing his knuckles against her cheek. "Now, now, no need to pout. It will be a quick trip, four days in all." Hermione was still pouting.

"All will be well." Emily assurred Hermione then, her eyes snapping back into focus. "The most troublesome thing he'll encounter is a rash."

Hermione cocked an eyebrow then which just made Emily smile. "You'll fix it when he comes back. Hush."

Harry and the others laughed as Blaise wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders. "Yes love, hush." Blaise's eyes were both warm and mischievous. The cause for the mischief was because two seats down from them sat Ron, watching the proceedings with narrowed eyes. "Four days, and only to visit with a few shamans my mother's current beau recommended. The African wizards are quite skilled in various forms of magic we European wizards have abandoned."

Hermione sighed heavily then. "Yes I know. I was just reading about them last week. Bella asked me to do some research before she sanctioned a trip there. I didn't know you'd be going though." She hit him with a sharp glance then that had him chuckling some more.

"I'm descended from one of the tribes, through my mother. It's diluted but it's still a blood claim." Blaise explained as Hermione began to settle down a little. "As for Bella not telling you...I asked her not to. It would have given you too much time to think up a clever argument for joining me." Blaise flashed her a brilliant smile then.

"Oh just get married already!" Draco huffed from further up the table, several of the Knights choking on their food or drink. Hermione and Blaise both turned to him as well. Hermione was turning cherry red and Blaise was smirking.

"Well I would but our dear empress hasn't changed that law yet." Blaise replied. Draco started laughing brightly then, which Harry noted startled the Weasleys a little. "Put in a good word for me old friend."

"Blaise!" Hermione squealed, hiding her face behind her napkin. "That's not funny!"

"I'm not trying to be funny." Blaise said, leaning over to plant a kiss in her curls.

"Try not to kill my friend Blaise." Harry cautioned then.

"I would sooner die myself than kill this clever girl." Blaise declared boldly, while Hermione blindly reached out to punch him.

"Am I missing the entertainment?" Bella called then, causing everyone to stand up quickly as she strode into the room. Harry's eyes zeroed in on the bandages around her arm and the slight limp.

"Bell?" He hurried to her side, taking her arm and making her use him as a crutch. She flashed him a thankful smile before he helped her into her seat. "Bell, you're hurt?"

"It's nothing important Harry. I was just out with some of the new recruits and a spell ricocheted off someone's shield right into my leg. It's fine now, just a little ache."

Harry gave her a glare, which she returned.

"And your arm?"

"Another ricochet. The general is very upset with them all. No real harm but still he was in a rage by the time the Healer patched me up." Bella smiled at all the worried glances. "Chill everyone, sheesh, no harm done!"

Harry and Draco both snorted loudly. Luicus and Severus didn't look any happier. Sirius was wearing a proud grin.

"So what're you going to be doing while Blaise is away in Africa?" Hermione asked nonchalantly. Bella met her gaze and giggled.

"We we've got a new magical location set up for the Ministry. It'll reopen in a week. Apparently Voldemort is not pleased with me at all." Bella smirked. "Hogwarts will begin on time as well. McGonagall will be taking up the Headmistress post. Papa Sev is going back to Potion's Master. Father has offered to serve as a Governor for the school. Fudge is being replaced with Scrimgeour, who was Head Auror. And Sirius offered to take up the DADA post this year." Bella paused for breath and everyone turned to Sirius who was grinning from his seat next to Hary.

"Excellent! You'll be a great professor." Harry declared and many of the school-age Knights agreed.

"So you are coming back with us?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"Part-time." Bella said with a fond smile. "I'll attend lessons in the morning, work after lunch in the Ministry, go back at dinner."

"You'll be behind then, won't you?" Hermione worried.

"I'll find a way to keep up. Don't worry Mione." Bella waved that away. If worse came to worse she'd just hire a tutor. She had other things to worry about than her studies though.

* * *

"I will be visiting the school from time to time, in part to continue these lessons." Dumbledore told him as they sat down for their next memory viewing. "I hope that won't be a problem."

"Not at all." Harry replied with a smile. Dumbledore smiled as well. Harry was glad Dumbledore was on their side now. He liked the old man. He really did. Dumbledore had just let his fears and worries blind him. He wasn't a bad man.

"Now then, during our last lesson we learned about Merope Gaunt." Dumbledore outlined what they'd seen last time. Harry wasn't likely to forget but let him speak anyway. Then Dumbledore produced the phials of memory he would be showing Harry tonight.

About an hour later they were once more seated in the study. They discussed the young Tom Riddle, whom Harry had never thought he'd ever know. He didn't like knowing him either. Harry just didn't like how the similarities kept cropping up when they discussed Tom Riddle. Similarities to Harry's own experiences...it was like they were connected...

Not anymore though. Not with Harry's piece of Voldemort's soul gone from his scar. He didn't even have the scar anymore. It had vanished along with the soul piece.

The question he most wanted answered was why there was a piece of Voldemort inside him. Dumbledore wasn't inclined to giving the answer anytime soon though. So once they bid each other good evening, Harry left.

He wandered to the west wing, where Bella would no doubt still be awake, sitting in her study, running her tired eyes over lists of things to do, people to see, places to check out.

When Harry entered the study it was to find Bella writing a letter. She paused long enough to flash him a smile.

"What're you working on now?" Harry asked, moving to stand behind her so he could read over her shoulder.

"Scrimgeour sent over a list of the laws they were discussing in the Ministry before I rattled it all up." Bella replied. "He was trying to figure out which ones I'd like to keep and which I want to throw out. Aside from two concerning the rights of magical creatures, I threw the rest out. I mean really, what was Fudge thinking when he let a law that would restrict the advancement of Muggleborns pass all the way to the Wizengamot?" Bella snorted then which made Harry laugh.

"He's not as brilliant as you are. He probably let someone paint it all pretty and didn't bother to confirm what the law would actually do." Harry told her, patting her short hair. Bella smiled again, leaning into his hand for a moment then pulling away.

"I'm also going to ask them to discuss a few of the laws I promised I'd try to get introduced." Bella said, motioning to a leather pouch in which several sheets of parchments lay. "We need to get Dark Arts restrictions re-evaluated, we need to add some courses to the Hogwarts curriculum, then there's the dispute over who is and isn't allowed to carry wands. Bill was saying that's a major obstacle against the goblins in particular. If we could get rid of all these useless restrictions then we could concentrate on other things."

"Can't you just force them to do what you want?" Harry asked then. Bella gave him a glare which made him grin.

"I'm an empress, not a dictator." Bella answered. Harry pat her hair again.

"You'd be the nicest dictator ever." Harry said with a laugh. Bella laughed too.

"I'd still rather be an empress." Bella narrowed her eyes then. "You look tired."

"So do you." Harry pointed out.

"I'm fine."

"Then so am I."

They glared at each other before snorting at how ridiculous they were being.

"Okay, bedtime." Bella agreed. Harry smiled triumphantly as she waved her wand and the lights doused. He took her hand as they headed to their rooms.

* * *

No matter what the fairy tales and novels said, ruling an empire was not pretty. Bella rubbed at her eyes and let out a hearty sigh. She wondered how other child rulers had managed it. People probably took everything off their shoulders for them. Kid rulers were more figureheads than nothing. Bella was no one's puppet though. She'd get through this the same way she'd gotten through everything life had thrown at her so far.

"You're turning sixteen in a week." Lucius said to his daughter, smiling as he found her on the bench, facing the graves of her mother and aunt. The real Mireya and Narcissa were buried there, under flowers now. The hot July sun rained down on them benignly, spreading trendils of warmth through all it touched. Lucius put a hand on Bella's shoulder and kissed her forehead. "I'm very proud of you, my Bella."

"I'm proud of me too, Father." Bella grinned, leaning into him for a few minutes. "Though I've never been more exhausted in my life. Why do people think its so good to be a king or queen? It's so much hard work."

Lucius pet her pixie short hair. He had thought it a shame when he'd first seen it. With her hair long she'd looked so much like Mireya. Now she only resembled herself. Which was good of course, but still Lucius missed the resemblance. "Do you regret what you have begun?" Lucius asked her softly.

"No. Though I admit I didn't think it through fully. I was a child who thought she could change the world just because the earth happened to conform to my will. People are not the earth though." Bella replied just s softly. Lucius smiled.

"And this is why I am so proud. You are far more intelligent than you let on. Our world will prosper under your leadership." Lucius praised, kissing her hair now. "However, whenever you feel like the burden has grown to heavy, you must take a step away from it. The world will not crumble if you take a moment to enjoy some tea or a broomstick ride. Even monarchs need a moment to themselves. Besides, that is what your godfather and I are around for. We can handle the empire for an hour or so, don't you think?"

Bella laughed at that. "I'll rest more when the empire is more stable. We're so young. People will be looking for weaknesses. I can't afford to slip up right now."

Lucius shook his head. "Relaxing is not slipping up. It is taking care of yourself. You are relaxing now and nothing has happened for the past half hour."

From the start his daughter gave, Lucius was sure she hadn't realized how long she'd been sitting there.

"I guess you're right Father. I just don't want to screw this up."

"You are a Malfoy. You will not fail. Now come along." Lucius cast a sad look at the two graves. "It doesn't do to dwell too long in graveyards."

Bella gave a small shudder, recalling her first trip to a graveyard, where she'd watched a deadly evil gain new form.

Her father was right. She was a Malfoy. She would not fail.

She hoped.

* * *

Harry didn't mind his Ambassador job but some days it felt good to just cast curses and hexes and train with the other Warriors.

"He is a great duelist." One of the generals was saying to Sirius as they watched Harry and a Warrior duel each other. "He was born to be a Warrior, that Potter."

Sirius nodded, watching his godson duck and cast a spell at the same moment. He sent his opponent to the ground with a painful sounding thunk. Harry rose up fluidly and cast an Incarcerous at his partner before summoning his wand.

"Excellent Lord Potter! Rhine, I hope you were paying attention! That goes for you lot as well!" The general said, marching into the midst of his troops. Harry grinned and flushed a little, whether from the duel or from the praise it wasn't clear. Sirius looked at his eyes though. Harry's eyes shimmered and shined the same way James's had when he was extremely happy about something.

He really was born to be a Warrior. And that was probably why their ever-intelligent Empress had made him into an Ambassador. Sirius knew Bella Malfoy was a brainiac when she wanted to be. She must have forseen what might happen if Harry remained just a Knight. Without some other duty, Harry wouldn't think twice about jumping into the fray. He'd lead the charge without a sign of fear in his face.

Sirius smirked as Harry jogged over to him, eyes still shining.

"How'd I really do Sirius?" Harry asked him. Sirius snorted, shaking his head.

"You were brilliant Harry. A fine Knight." Sirius replied making Harry grin wider. "Voldemort's going to crap his pants when he sees how much you've grown."

Harry's shining eyes took on a darkness then. The shadow of Voldemort's threat, Sirius thought, chiding himself the next second for being so poetic about it. But that's what it was. Until the day Voldemort was destroyed for good, Harry would carry that shadow in his eyes and heart.

"You ought to go shower kid. Dumbledore said something about your lesson." Sirius reminded him then. Harry nodded, giving Sirius a quick hug before hurrying away inside. Sirius watched him go, silently promising himself to do whatever he needed to in order to protect his godson.

"Hey! How about dueling this old dog eh?" Sirius asked, drawing his wand and smirking when a few of the Warriors laughed. Good, let the squirts be cocky. Sirius would show them the valuable lesson of never underestimating your opponent.

Especially when that opponent was a Marauder.

"Now now Sirius, don't go taunting the children." A very familiar voice said. Sirius whipped around, a grin spreading on his face.

"Remy! Where the bloody hell have you been?" Sirius demanded to know, running over and tackling Remus to the ground.

"Oh around." Was Remus's answer, before he began casting hexes at Sirius. Sirius dodged them, looking stunned for a moment. Then he grinned and began dueling with his dearest friend.

* * *

"Remus was doing some spying for me." Bella replied to Sirius's inquiry at dinner. "There are plenty of wolves who are willing to fight for Voldemort still. But those are the bloodthirsty mindless predators, so I won't feel too bad about just blasting them off the face of the universe."

Molly Weasley shot her a stunned look which Bella serenely ignored. Arthur Weasley and the rest of his sons were valuable and very much appreciated assest to the empire. Molly, Ron, and Ginny Weasley were pains in the neck Bella put up with for the sake of maintaining Arthur's loyalty.

"You won't be doing any blasting." Severus said to her with a stern look. Bella cocked an eyebrow in return.

"You'd have to drug her with sleeping potions to keep her off a battlefield." Draco said for his sister then. Severus let out a long-suffering sigh. They all knew that was the truth. Bella wouldn't stay away from a battle, once the battles began. She'd initiated the last one with Baldur, and the one before that when they'd subdued the elements of Water and Darkness. Bella was not the stay-at-home type of empress.

"I also checked up on some of the Ministry agents who are set on opposing her majesty's rule." Remus said with a smile. "They're hardly any threat however, compared to Voldemort. Most of them can be swayed, with the right incentive."

Bella nodded. "But that can wait for after dinner. I'm making it a rule right now, no more talking about business at dinner."

The people around her chuckled but Bella knew they would conform to the rule. It was odd, having so much power even over her friends and family. A part of her didn't like it. Another rather did. She figured her inner Malfoy enjoyed getting her way.

After dinner Bella called a meeting and the Knights and her family moved to the strategy room on the second floor of the west wing.

"Voldemort is declaring open war on us." Bella said it suddenly, just getting it all out. There was a pause before everyone began talking at once. Bella let them get it out for a minute before letting a bang out of her wand.

"How do you know?" Draco asked his sister.

"Remus discovered it. One of the men he spoke to had been a part of Fenrir Greyback's clan. He had overheard Fenrir having a chat with some Death Eaters. The plan is to take us by surprise, here at the manor." Bella sighed heavily then, rubbing her forehead. She was getting wrinkles, she just knew it. It bothered her vanity just a little bit. Sixteen and wrinkled, wonderful.

Her birthday had passed quietly, with a big celebration for those who wanted to celebrate it. Bella had spent most of the day in the west wing, just lounging around and doing absolutely nothing. Once this war was over, she swore she was going to start delegating a few of her tasks to the Knights. She needed at least one hour to herself a day or she'd just burst at the seams.

"This is it." Bella said to the people who mattered the most to her. Her eyes caught Harry's. He inclined his head, his hand moving to touch the spot where once he carried a scar and a fragment of Voldemort's soul. Harry would be at the forefront with her. Bella knew this part of the war was Harry's. There were no elements to deal with, no misguided wizards to subdue. This fight was going to be Harry's fight.

"Tomorrow we'll meet with the generals. For tonight let's just relax. I need to finalize some plans I have anyway. I have to recall the spies I have out there..." Bella trailed off as she looked at her friends and family, who were all looking at her with faces that held worry and anger and most overwhelming of all, complete trust.

Bella sincerely hoped she proved herself worthy of that trust.

* * *

"We will have to evacuate most of those who have no business being in the middle of a battlefield." Bella waved her wand and a blueprint of the manor appeared on the table around which she, Draco, Harry, and the generals all stood. "Dumbledore has suggested Hogwarts. It is the safest place in the world right now for those who can't fight."

"Can he promise their safety?" Lord Nen asked.

"Without a doubt. Dumbledore may have stumbled once or twice but protection is something he does well." Harry said for his former headmaster. "That you can count on."

Draco nodded, waving his wand. On the blueprint Bella had conjured were now highlighted several parts of the walls and the manor itself. "We need to reinforce these areas. New wards and several guards posted at each weak spot. We will need scouts at these areas." He waved his wand again and blue dots appeared along the wall at regular intervals. "We will need to be ready for attack from either side."

Harry looked down at the blueprint. "People on the roof too." Harry said then. Draco nodded, giving his wand a third wave. "If I were him, I'd have some scouts in the skies too. We should put people on that. Try and shoot them down if possible."

Bella nodded this time. "He could attack any day now. I trust you all to divide the tasks amongst yourselves."

The generals bowed and promised they would. Bella left the room. Harry stayed behind along with Draco, discussing formations and which spells would be best considering the manor grounds weren't a flat and level terrain.

War was coming, Bella could taste it in the air. Voldemort was attacing the ancestral home of the Malfoys. If he was allowed to win, it would be a blow to her short rule as Empress.

Stepping out onto the grounds, watching the Warriors train, Bella swore Voldemort would only take Malfoy Manor over her ashes.

The ground began to tremble as Bella felt her elemental connection reacting. The earth sensed the impending battle too. It lay taut, waiting to be used, waiting to be molded by her hands.

A sly smile spread Bella's lips. Voldemort had plenty of advantages. So did they. The Empire would survive this first battle.

They had to.

* * *

**_Finally huh? Sorry for the delay. I got mentally snagged halfway through the chapter and let it sit on my computer to marinate. Here ya go! _**


	52. Formidable Powers

**~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot. **

**Ha! I've planned this thing out! Finally right? ^^ Anyways yes, the last ten chapters-eleven if you count this one-are planned out. I feel proud of myself. **

* * *

**Part Six **

_**Chapter Fifty-Two: Formidable Powers**_

It happened sooner than they expected.

Bella was awoken from her sleep by alarms ringing throughout the manor. She quickly donned a robe and hurried to a window to see the net of defensive spells around the manor were bright red and currently holding off the attacks being shot at them. She hurried to join the others up on the roof, looking down around the manor grounds and seeing that, for the moment at least, the protective spells would last.

Most of the attacks were coming from above. Some were aimed at the walls. Bella felt a shudder of fear crawl through her body as she saw the lights exploding behind the barrier.

"Bella." Bella looked over at her brother and put on her best Malfoy smirk. Draco smirked in return.

"Let's give them hell." Bella declared. Draco laughed and called out the order to begin attacking. The Knights gathered around Bella as she hurried from the roof. Her element always responded best when she was in direct contact with it.

Fleur, Luna, Draco, and Emily gathered around Bella when she stood in front of the warded gated which were being pummelled by spell after hex after curse. Bella had to smile viciously. Bill and the goblins had done a grand job with the wards.

"Elementals, take some Knights and start helping the others." Bella commanded. Fleur took Bill and Viktor with her. Luna took Padma, Crabbe, and Goyle. Emily took Neville, Hermione, and Blaise.

Harry, Draco, and the Weasley twins stayed with Bella.

"Do what you do best guys." Bella told them as she felt her connection with the Earth opening up. Fred and George took up into the sky on brooms, digging into their pockets while cackling madly. Draco stayed by his sister while beginning to twist the space around those attacking the gates. Harry held his wand at the ready, eyes cool as ice as they watched the wards begin to flicker. Bill and the goblins had done a great job but these wards were meant to fail after a while.

Voldemort could think he'd caught them all off guard. The wards were only meant to hold until everyone was ready for combat. Bella felt a cool smirk curling her lips.

The wards suddenly broke apart and Death Eaters began to swarm onto the grounds from above and below. Bella raised her hands, causing fists of earth to smack into the Death Eaters in front of her. Draco made holes suddenly appear below them. Once they fell in, the holes quickly sealed, sending the Death Eater to who knew where.

Harry started firing spells the minute the wards broke. He kept his eyes peeled. He didn't have his connection to Voldemort anymore. He would just need to rely on sight now. It was a little frustrating actually, but then again he wouldn't trade being free of him for the world.

Bella stopped using the earth after half an hour, knowing she'd wear herself out and that that would be a bad thing. She and Draco switched to their wands and entered the fray, casting spells at the Death Eaters with abandon. You never messed with a Malfoy, especially a Malfoy Empress. Bella would make sure the Dark understood that by the time this battle was over.

A spell whizzed past her head and Bella blinked at finding herself surrounded by Death Eaters. She'd lost Harry and Draco somewhere along the way. No matter though. She focused on fighting her way out of the circle of Death Eaters instead. One quick wave of her hand and they were all half-buried in the earth. Bella stunned them all before rushing past them to help out with others.

A cry had her whirling around in time to catch one of her Warriors who was missing an arm. Bella mastered the urge to heave upon seeing the scraps of skin which hung from the man's shoulder. She dragged him away from the battling and did a quick healing spell to stitch the skin together and stop the bleeding. The man passed out from the pain then. Bella made sure to put Repelling charms around him, lest he be trampled. She had just finished the last one when a burst of pain hit her in the back. She screamed, falling to her knees as she clawed at the ground.

It had to be the Cruciatus. It just had to be. The pain was blinding and Bella could only focus on the fiery feeling of her veins bubbling for a few moments. The curse ended abruptly, leaving her panting and weeping on the grass. Turning, she saw Dumbledore had engaged a Death Eater behind her. He met her eyes for a quick moment and she hurried to her feet, hexing the Death Eater with painful boils that began to burst, forcing the man to his knees now.

"Bella, are you well?" Dumbledore asked, watching her as she held her wand shakily.

"I'm fine." Bella rasped. "I wasn't under that long, I think." Bella turned to him and offered a shaky smile. "Let's go!" She commanded and hurried back into the group of battling Death Eaters and Warriors. Dumbledore stared after her for a moment then returned to protecting the others.

Bella soon pushed the Cruciatus from her mind as she was forced to delve into the Darker spells she'd been learning in order to counter some of the attacks by the Death Eaters. Her Warriors were holding their own, which made Bella feel a burst of intense pride when she saw them at work.

Scattered among the Warriors were Allies. Veelas threw fireballs, Vampires mercilessly ripped off Death Eater limbs and necks, Lord Nen led his students in causing the Death Eaters to begin loosing eyes or fingers.

It was gruesome, this battle, but Bella had wanted to show Voldemort exactly what he was up against. It wasn't an Empire built by childish ideals anymore. It was a true, rising empire, with the strength to crush him into oblivion if it were so inclined.

Bella wasn't sure when it happened, but slowly the attacks slowed and stopped, as everyone turned inwards. Bella pushed her way forward, wondering what could have captured everyone's attention.

She almost regretted finding the answer. In the center of a circle was Harry...and Voldemort.

Her heart lodged itself in her throat as she watched them face off.

* * *

Harry had sensed him before he'd seen him. His power was a swirling vortex, darker than the darkest aura.

Harry had been in the thick of battle, calling on his newfound powers, feeling the different magics around him. There was Dark and Light and Gray, there was strong and weak, and all of it had wrapped around him. He'd been able to see the differences, to prey on the weaknesses. The powers had swirled around his own and then _He'd_ appeared.

Whereas the other auras had been swirling around him, Voldemort's aura slammed against his own with the force of a hundred rhinos charging a stone wall.

It was as if everyone else could see the magic like Harry could. Voldemort's power clashing against Harry's. In Harry's eyes it looked like a fireworks display, the place where the two powers met was a blinding white with all sorts of colorful bursts coming off it. Perhaps they _could_ feel it like Harry could. It was like a fire that burned hotter than even Fleur's flames.

The people began to step away from the two powerful wizards. Death Eater and Empire Warrior alike formed a ring around the two formidable powers clashing. Harry straightened up and his mind flashed back to the end of fourth year. The duel in the graveyard, the clash of their wands, the power that had exhausted him and amazed him...

He blinked and before him stood the snake-faced bastard who'd taken his parents from him. His future too, if one thought about it. Voldemort had changed his entire life simply by choosing to pay heed to a prophecy.

Harry wasn't the weak boy he'd last seen though. He wasn't the little wizard with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Harry was just as powerful as Voldemort and he let his magic lash out against Voldemorts, letting the other man know that. Voldemort looked at him blankly, eyes burning with hatred as they began to slowly circle each other.

"What's this Potter?" Voldemort asked after a minute. "You seem to have come into possession of some new tricks."

"That's right." Harry replied, smirking. "I've gotten a hold of a lot of new tricks." Harry felt him trying to probe his mind and the barrier that slammed down caused Voldemort to wince. Harry just smirked again.

"Whose power are you borrowing?" Voldemort sneered. "Surely this cannot be your own. Pathetic child that you are."

"Me? Pathetic?" Harry stopped circling Voldemort and tipped his head back. He laughed brightly and loudly, the sound carrying over the riveted crowd. Harry looked at Voldemort and offered him a charming smile. "I promise you Tom, I'm hardly pathetic."

Voldemort hissed at his use of the Muggle name and fired the first spell. Harry was ready with a shield, which caused the spell to bounce off into the crowd. Another hex came flying fast and again bounced off Harry's shield.

Harry almost felt sorry for Voldemort. The wizard would never know what it was like to have an Aku no Hana within him. He'd never feel magic like Harry did. He'd never be immortal like Harry was.

Harry would outlive Voldemort by centuries. He'd see Voldemort torn to shreds.

With a smirk the dueling began in earnest. Hexes and curses and spells flew far too fast for Harry to count, let alone name. Jets of deadly red, vivid yellow, sickly green, neon blue, dark purple, and funny enough bright white whipped around him. One broke his shield at last and he dodged, rolled, jumped, and ducked to avoid the second wave of spells Voldemort shot at him.

By silent consensus the Warriors and Death Eaters remained in a ring, neither interferring nor renewing their own duels. Everyone watched with bated breath as the two enemies clashed again and again.

A hex sliced into Harry's left arm, making him stagger a step before launching his own severing hex at Voldemort and watching as a scrap of his robes fell to the ground. There was a pause then Voldemort blinked, putting a hand to the spot Harry had hit and pulling it back. There seemed to be a huge gasp as Voldemort studied the blood that was coming from his wound.

"You landed a blow." Voldemort murmured, sounding surprised. Harry took the momentary lapse to create a new shield and that seemed to snap Voldemort out of his shock. The light began to fly again. A dark red light hit Harry's foot, melting his sneakers and forcing him to yank them off. He sent a blast at Voldemort which blew a small chunk out of his shoulder. Again Voldemort paused, shocked. He recovered much more quickly this time however and the battle continued.

Every wound Voldemort gave him, Harry matched. He was well beyond the ignorant child who couldn't fight back properly. He was a Knight of the Empire, an immortal, he was prophecied to defeat the monster before him.

It must have been the sudden conviction that entered him which resulted in the rather large Bombarda that left his wand and hit Voldemort square in the chest. Or rather, the area right above his chest. His shield was wavering however. The Bombarda blew it apart and sent Voldemort flying into the crowd.

Harry rushed over as the people backed away, muttering and crying out in shock of their own. Voldemort was struggling to rise, his wand pointed at Harry's chest. Harry cast another shield around him and stood warily, wondering if Voldemort would get back on his feet.

His robes were shredded and the pale skin below was an angry red. Blood even flowed from unseen wounds.

"What are you?" Voldemort asked. Harry might have answered if not for the Stunner that flew and slid off his shield. He whirled around and saw the Death Eaters and Warriors had resumed their dueling.

A brown curse hit his shield and destroyed it with such force that Harry was now sent flying into the fray. Hurrying to his feet, he saw Voldemort back on his own.

Their eyes locked and Harry was almost sure this was going to escalate into a fiercer duel when the ground began to shift around him.

Turning he saw Bella standing on a low garden wall, her hands out and fingers spread apart.

* * *

Bella had nearly lost her heart in her throat when she'd seen Voldemort's spell send Harry flying into the dueling mass. When she saw Harry was well though she decided enough was enough. Standing on the garden wall she surveyed the duelers and hoped her Warriors weren't too distracted to use the special Portkeys they'd been issued. She let the ground shift and tilt a little to give them plenty of warning. Her lips turned up in a proud smile as she saw them begin to pop away to different areas of the manor.

Harry didn't use his Potkey, of course. Instead he hurried to stand on the wall with her. Bella looked around for Voldemort and saw him glaring at the two of them. He looked more human with blood covering him. Bella hoped he had pulverized bones on top of his external wounds.

With the last of her Warriors safely away, Bella commanded the ground to dip and open up, sending Death Eaters tumbling in. She sealed it with a snap of her fingers and focused on trapping Voldemort in his own earthen prison. Before she could though a spell came flying and hit one of her hands, making her cry out. It looked red and blistered, like she'd stuck it in a boiling pot.

Her pain fueled her power though and she made spikes of hard clay begin jutting out, catching several Death Eaters and filling the grounds with screams of pain. Harry's hands on her shoulders steadied her and she refocused. She could crush Voldemort's body, if nothing else.

Spells were flying all around them however, making it impossible for her to concentrate enough to solidify the earth. Angry and frustrated she began making long, earthen arms come up and whip at the Death Eaters, sending wands out of grips and crushing quite a few in the process.

Voldemort had escaped. Bella let out an angry curse as several of the Death Eaters clutched their arms then began to Apparate away.

"That was rather anitclimactic." Bella commented when the last Death Eater in their area disappeared. Harry gave a grunt and Bella recalled that he might be injured. As if to remind her of her own injuries, her burnt arm began to sting like crazy. Harry helped her down from the wall as Draco and their guardians appeared.

"We're going to need to leave the manor." Bella said as Severus looked at her blistered arm. She let out a whimper when he touched the raw flesh. Pushing the cry she wanted to let out away, Bella began shouting orders as the warrior commanders appeared.

"Take what needs to be taken and relocate to Hogwarts." Bella said as she got to her feet and pushed Severus away with her good arm. "Where are my Knights? How many are injured? Did we lose anyone? Draco, start transferring the trapped Death Eaters to the deepest, darkest dungeon in Hogwarts you can find. Bill, go with him to cast wards."

Bella wavered then and Harry caught her, making her grimace for a moment. Harry just chuckled as he helped her stand.

* * *

It took about two hours to get everything important moved to Hogwarts. Lucius invoked an old ward on the manor which made it inaccessible to anyone not of Malfoy blood. They hadn't used it before because it would have expelled everyone of their allies from the manor and grounds.

Dumbledore happily added his own wards to the lowest dungeons where twelve Death Eaters were being kept. Warriors were placed on them and the Death Eaters wands were all snapped without mercy by Bella herself.

Aside from ten casualties, dozens of injuries, and two unexplained disappearances, they saw their side had done rather well. Lucius had gone to the manor and announced eight dead Death Eaters.

Bella sat in her room in Slytherin and stared dully at the floor. Sure, she'd known going into this that as far as wars went, no one was left unscathed. People died and people got hurt and some people betrayed their side for the promise of something more on the other.

To actually witness it...that was another story.

She looked around the rather girlish room, from the white and gold furniture to the four-poster bed and felt a hollow sort of space enter her heart. Two years ago, she'd been a normal girl with a little gang of friends. Now, she was a self-declared empress who could manipulate the earth and condoned death for her cause.

She left her room and left Slytherin house, moving through the castle like a ghost.

She had to interview the Death Eaters.

She had to see the injured in the infirmary.

Classes would start in less than a week, she had to arrange other lodgings for the Warriors.

She had to visit Fudge and inform him of the battle.

Feeling bone tired all of a sudden, Bella dropped into the nearest corner and pulled her legs to her chest. She felt tragically young all of a sudden. She felt like the sixteen year old she actually was. What had ever possessed her to think this was a good idea? How could she be an empress, elemental powers or not?

It was Ginny Weasley who found her an hour later. A sneer lifted Ginny's lips until she heard a stiffled sob come from the young empress. Ginny blinked in surprise but then decided to leave. She disliked Bella Malfoy with a passion, but if she remained around long enough to hear the girl cry, Ginny's ire might disappear.

* * *

_**I can't believe I haven't updated since April. I am so sorry but hopefully this makes up for it. **_


	53. The Sound of Fate Sealing

**~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot. **

* * *

**Part Six **

_**Chapter Fifty-Three: The Sound of Fate Sealing**_

Bella recovered quickly enough from her injuries. That wasn't what had Harry worried about her though.

There was something new in his girlfriend's eyes. A sort of hollowness that Harry had never seen. It troubled him but he couldn't find a way to address it. They were busy enough as it was.

The Warriors were set up in secret locations throughout England. They were given Portkeys which would heat up with a command from Bella or one of the Imperial Knights and would trasport them to whatever battle they were needed for.

Classes had begun at Hogwarts. Harry mused tiredly that he was a sixth year along with most of the Knights. Only a sixth year, when he felt rather ancient.

Bella wasn't in classes much the first two weeks of the new school term. She was in and out of meetings daily with the old Ministry officials. She'd awoken the day after the battle and gathered her knights.

"I can't be empress and commander of an army at the same time." She'd admitted, which was surprising to most of the Knights. Harry could see it, and he was sure Draco had seen it as well. Bella was straining to try and control everything. If Harry had to guess, Bella was probably feeling like she'd screwed up royally and couldn't find a way to fix it. But Bell was a Malfoy, through and through, and she'd be run to the ground before she admitted any weakness.

"For now I'm creating a temporary Ministry that will deal with all the legal crap." Bella had continued. "Fudge is not Minister though. Incompetent moron thought I'd actually give him full control back." Bella snorted and there was such a Malfoy expression on her face that the Knights had laughed and relaxed. "I have final say and I won't be completely out of the discussions but I need someone to take care of all the useless paperwork that comes with ruling an empire."

So she'd gone with her selected government officials and they'd found a secret location to begin forming a new Ministry. It was still in London but Bella wouldn't say where and all the people who knew of it were sworn to secrecy as well.

Life within Hogwarts was more or less the same as always. It was bizzare though because at the same time it was different. Harry would walk by and students would whisper to one another. He'd sit down in the library and people would suddenly surround him, asking quiet questions and growing frustrated when Harry gave vague answers.

He put up with it fine though, used to it, and glad Bella was kept busy and away from the castle most of the day.

"Harry." That dreamy voice could only belong to Luna Lovegood. Harry shook himself out of his thoughts and turned to the petite Knight. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Luna." Harry promised the fifth year. Luna was the youngest Knight and Harry wondered often if that bothered her. Luna gave a dreamy smile before shaking her head.

"You're worried about Bella." Luna said, making Harry sigh and nod. He should know by now not to hide things from Luna. She'd find out anyway. "Don't be. She'll be fine."

"Her eyes are hollow and she's working herself to the bone. She's not fine." Harry argued, frowning at the blonde. Luna smiled again, shaking her head.

"Bella is strong, like the earth. That is why they work so well together." Luna looked out the window to the Hogwarts grounds, which bore no mark of the battle that had been fought there only months ago. "Her roots had lost their grip but they're gaining it back. Don't worry."

Harry let out a heavier sigh, rubbing his face and running a hand through his hair. "Sometimes I think this Empire thing was a terrible idea. We're just kids. What were we thinking?" Harry let the words slip out, needing to tell them to someone and Luna was the best choice for that.

Luna studied him with her pale eyes before nodding to something over his shoulder and reaching up to pat his cheek.

"Bella was chosen, just like you, to remake this world. The method we chose might be a little flawed, and she might not be Empress forever, but she and all of us have started this change. We may not finish it, we may not see it happen the way we want it to, but we began it. When everyone was too scared or too complacent to change things, we stepped forward and brought change. It's a beautiful, scary, necessary thing."

Harry found himself smiling by the end of Luna's little speech. He really liked this girl, he thought fondly as Luna offered him another dreamy smile and skipped away to her next class. How could Luna make everything make sense so easily? Harry wasn't even sure an adult could do it like Luna could.

She had a point. Even if this Empire thing flopped, even if it went nowhere after this war, the point would be that they'd stood up and shaken things loose. They'd begun to fight to make things better.

In the end, that's what really mattered. Harry would help Bella see that she didn't have to work so hard anymore. With an eased mind, he went off to class. Whether he remained an Ambassador to an Empress forever or not, he needed to be well educated if he intended to court a Malfoy.

* * *

Emily came out of her trance and sighed. She looked over at her companions and frowned lightly when she saw Padma Patil pointing to something in a book over Draco's shoulder. She knew that relationship wouldn't last but she couldn't help but be jealous all the same.

Her Elemental power was both gift and curse. It showed her the future as it would be given current events but it didn't allow her change anything, lest she change the future. She wasn't inclined to change the future right at that moment. It was a very good future, a great future, and she smiled as she remembered the thing that had made her whole body tremble with joy.

She'd seen children. Pretty, loving, adorably sweet children. The next generation living in a peaceful world. Emily had yearned to hold them...but she was only a seeker of future knowledge when she let her mind jump without her. She couldn't touch.

Time sucked like that.

Looking around the room the Knights had claimed long ago, Emily felt her emotions settle. Things were going great. Exactly how they needed to in order to ensure that wonderful future.

"Did you see something good?" Emily turned and found her Empress taking a seat beside her on the couch pushed up against the big window. Fall sunshine fell on them, warming them a little as they curled up with tea and listened to everyone chatter and work around them.

"The future is promising." Emily replied, making Bella roll her eyes. Emily smirked, before her eyes traveled to Draco again. Padma was touching his hair now, going on about Draco letting it grow out. Emily was all for keeping it shoulder length. If he let it grow longer, he'd look like his father and while Lucius Malfoy was an attractive man, the look didn't suit Draco's own personality.

"Will that last?" Bella asked, also looking over at her brother. She knew Emily felt strongly for Draco, due to the many futures she'd experienced. Bella hadn't told her brother of course. That was personal and totally up to Emily, but she did feel badly for the young woman who had lived too much, too many times.

"It'll end in a few months." Emily admitted in a quiet whisper. "Peacefully. They'll find they are not so compatible and separate."

"And then?" Bella wondered, happy to be getting mostly straight answers from the Time Holder now.

Emily smiled and it made her pretty face just light up. Bella laughed, that smile answering her fully. Emily would step up and try and win Draco over. She'd probably succeed too. Bella just wished her brother happiness and if Emily could give it to him, then all the better.

"Bella." Emily said, waiting until she had Bella's full attention before continuing. "Things will grow more challenging and we may lose faith at times, but I promise it will all be worth it in the end. The moments of pain, of sorrow, of hopelessness, they will all have meaning in the end. It won't be too long now."

Bella eyed her Knight carefully then nodded. "I know Emily." Bella promised, thinking back to the year before when she'd had to face heartbreak and darkness in order to overcome Baldur. "I have faith in us. Even if things don't turn out exactly how we want them to, I'm sure the future will be something we can all be proud of."

"Yes. It is." Emily promised and the girls shared a smile before sitting quietly, each lost in her own thoughts.

* * *

Harry stepped up into the Headmaster's office. Lucius Malfoy was nowhere to be seen but Dumbledore sat behind the desk, looking serene and as he always looked when Harry had come to see the man.

There was even a dish of lemon drops, which Dumbledore must have brought himself. It made Harry grin as he took a seat, waiting for their next Voldemort History 101 lesson to begin.

"The memory I am about to show you belongs to one Horace Slughorn." Dumbledore began. "It took me quite a while to retrieve it, even with young Emily's aid."

Harry nodded, then dipped his head into the Pensive to view the memory of Horace Slughorn.

Slughorn had been Potions Master before Severus. He had taught Tom Riddle back in his day. The man had quite liked Riddle no doubt, but this memory showed Slughorn growing disturbed by the young prodigy. When they exited the Pensive, Harry sat in his seat and frowned.

"Horcrux." Harry repeated the word. It felt heavy on his tongue. He didn't like what the memory had implied either.

"Yes." Dumbledore replied, nodding solemnly. "As you have just witnessed, Tom was curious about them. He had, in fact, crafted one already. The diary."

Harry sucked in a sharp breath. "So he has piece of his soul scattered around who knows where?"

"I believe so."

Harry bowed his head, thinking. "Voldemort split his soul up, into seven pieces-"

"He split his soul into eight." Dumbledore interrupted.

"But he asked Slughorn about splitting a soul into seven-"

"Yes. Which would mean six Horcrux and one fragment left in the body." Dumbledore smiled now. "But he instead, unintentionally, crafted seven Horcrux and was left with an unstable fragment in his body."

"Why?" Harry wondered and he felt Dumbledore's eyes go to his smooth forehead, to the spot where he'd once bore the mark of Voldemort's failed curse. Harry let his hand drift up to the spot, his finger automatically tracing the shape on his skin.

"The night he attacked you and your family, the Killing Curse rebounded off of you and struck him, destroying his body." Dumbledore began. Harry nodded, he already knew that. "Before destroying his body though, I believe the Killing Curse fractured his already fragmented soul, and a piece of his soul was left in the room even as the Killing Curse destroyed his body. His soul fragment was forced from his body, explaining how he managed to escape and return to mortal form several years afterward."

"The piece of soul that broke from his piece then attached itself to the only living thing left in the house. You." Harry's eyes widened and his fingers curled over his scar. "The dark magic that left you marked drew Voldemort's soul fragment and it lodged itself within your wound."

"There it lay, dormant, for ten years until you returned to the wizarding world. It remained so until the events of June, when you allowed Life and Death to manipulate your body." Dumbledore didn't know all the facts about that. Bella and Harry had decided it was one of those things the old wizard didn't need to know. They'd just told Dumbledore that Aurora and Jett had done something to Harry's body using their Element powers.

"Their manipulation caused the soul fragment embedded in your scar to perish." Dumbledore finished and silence fell on them for a while.

Harry felt a little sick, thinking that a piece of Voldemort had been inside his head for so long. It just made him feel in need of a hot, hot shower.

"So he accidentally made me a Horcrux." Harry said after a few minutes. "But I got rid of his soul fragment so that means there's six left. Seven pieces."

"There are less than that." Dumbledore said and Harry remembered why this man inspired fondness and exasperation in him. Dumbledore's twinkling eyes made Harry feel the man knew exactly what feelings he inspired in Harry. "I have no doubt you remember the diary?"

"Of course." Harry gasped then. "You're saying that was a soul fragment too?"

Dumbledore's nod had Harry swearing. Dumbledore allowed it, knowing if he'd been any younger he would have cursed too, and quite vividly.

"Okay. Voldemort broke his soul up into eight pieces, on accident." Harry began summarizing. "Jett and Aurora unknowingly helped me destroy one. I destroyed the one in the diary. Which means there's six pieces of Voldemort left. The one in his body and five Horcrux."

"That is exactly so." Dumbledore agreed. Harry sighed, rubbing at his eyes. He felt old and tired. It wasn't a good feeling.

"But sir, you said the prophecy was null and void." Harry replied after another small silence. "So how's this any of my problem?" Dumbledore sighed this time, which didn't bode well.

"I thought so at the time." Dumbledore agreed apologetically. "But I have been thinking over the matter and I have come to the conclusion that I was wrong. I had interpreted the prophecy as stating you would be born with the power the Dark Lord knows not. But after you told me Life and Death manipulated your body, I started to have doubts. Perhaps you were given the power he knows not from Life and Death."

That made sense, Harry conceded. Life and Death had made him immortal, as close to it as a human can get. The addition of the Aku no Hana to his life force gave him access to greater magic. And Harry was certain the evil snake-faced idiot didn't know a thing about the Aku no Hana. At least not everything Harry and Bella knew about it.

"So it still is my problem." Harry sighed, shaking his head and wishing he could just take Bella and hide them away in the Garden of Lycoris.

"I am afraid so, my boy."

Harry nodded. "It's alright, sir. I figured it must be if you're telling me all this." He gave another heavy sigh before pulling himself together. "So what could the Horcrux be?"

They discussed that at great length, until the clock chimed ten o'clock and Lucius entered his office once more. Harry bid Dumbledore good night before leaving to go back to the rooms he'd been given.

* * *

"Slytherin's Locket. Hufflepuff's Cup. Something of Ravenclaw's or Gryffindor's. Nagini. And the Gaunt's ring." Bella repeated, staring out the window while Harry stood behind her, arms wrapped around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. "Five Horcrux, plus the fragment in Voldemort's body."

"Yeah. Dumbledore said he might know where the locket and the ring are. He's going to do some digging around with Emily." Harry murmured. Bella had her hands over his and the room they were standing in was quiet and calm. Outside the September morning was clear and a bit cooler than the week before.

"I still have to be the one to end him. The power he knows not, it has to be the Aku no Hana." Harry murmured, turning his head a little and wrinkling his nose as Bella's curled hair tickled his face.

"Yes. I had hoped not but...why else would Dumbledore be bothering you with all those lessons?" Bella sighed, turning her head so her nose brushed Harry's. They shared a smile before both turned to look out the window again.

"When he finds out where the Horcrux are, I'm going to go and destroy them." Harry told her, still speaking quietly. It was just the type of subject one couldn't speak about in loud tones. Especially not Harry, who stood with his arms around the girl he loved, talking about a monster's broken soul and his destiny that lay entwined with said monster.

Bella seemed to understand, seemed content to murmur and stand still, letting him soak up comfort and resolve from her warm presence. "I'll go with you." Bella said, which made Harry groan and chuckle. Of course she would say that, of course she'd go with him into unknown danger in order to help him complete his destiny.

It was just what Bella did. His empress. "I would argue with you and tell you no, but you never listen to me anyways." He muttered, earning a soft laugh from Bella.

"We're in this together, no matter what." Bella told him. "We started this and we'll finish it, together."

Harry nodded. He let his mind drift away from the unpleasant thoughts for the time being. For the moment he just wanted to be Harry spending time with his Bell. Tomorrow he'd focus on learning how to destroy Horcrux and where to find them.

* * *

When Harry was next summoned to the Headmaster's office, not even a week later, Bella was with him. But she came simply as Bella Malfoy, not the self-proclaimed Empress of England's wizarding world.

Dumbledore seemed to expect her, since he greeted her kindly and made no move to have her sent away. Once they were seated, Dumbledore took a scroll of parchment from his robes.

"Although Emily's powers are great, some magics can evade her senses." Dumbledore began while Harry unrolled the scroll. "We were only able to garner general locations for some of the Horcrux, which means we must devise another means of detecting them."

Bella nodded while Harry looked over the list.

The locket and the ring had a clear location. Nagini, Hufflepuff's Cup, and whatever Voldemort had taken from either Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had general locations. They'd have to figure out how to find those.

"We'll focus on getting the locket and the ring first." Harry decided. "Headmaster, how do we destroy them once they're found?"

"Horcrux are nearly impossible to destroy." Dumbledore said, which wasn't a very heartening start. "And in order for the destruction to be complete and irreversible, the method must render the Horcrux vessel beyond repair of any kind. Otherwise the soul fragment will remain safely within the vessel and continue to tether Tom to this earth."

Bella shuddered. She could feel the rejection of such a vile entity from her Element. No creature was meant to be in such a torn state and yet be living in any capacity. That Voldemort did was an abomination.

Suddenly a way to find the other Horcrux came to her. She mulled it over while Dumbledore continued to speak.

"Basilisk venom would render the Horcrux useles. It did a find job on the diary after all." Dumbledore said with twinkling eyes.

"So we should go and collect some of the fangs." Harry decided, turning to Bella. "Bell?"

Bella shook herself and turned to Harry. "I think I know how we can find the others." Bella told him, smiling when Harry shot her a proud look. "It's my element. I can sense things that are unnatural that are tied to the earth. Every living creature is tied to the earth. We gain sustenance from it. Without the earth, we would not be able to live as we do."

"Of course." Dumbledore agreed, eyes still sparkling. "Tom's existence is twisted due to the splitting of his soul. His existence is no doubt being rejected by your element, which cannot reconcile such a being existing upon it."

"Exactly." Bella smiled, happy that now Harry had an iron-clad reason for not leaving her behind. Harry smirked wryly at her, as if knowing what she was thinking.

"I wish you both success, and beg you to come to me if you need assistance." Dumbledore said as they stood to leave. Harry and Bella both nodded before leaving the office, walking hand in hand down to the second floor, straight into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

The ghost girl was gone and so Harry opened the Chamber of Secret's entrance, leading the way down into the chamber where the remains of the basilisk still lay.

They gathered three fangs and left. Once they were back in the castle proper, they went off to Harry's private rooms.

"We should go as soon as possible." Harry began once Bella had shut the door. "I want as many Horcrux destroyed as possible before we meet with Old Snake-Face again."

Bella nodded, agreeing with that. "We can go anytime you're ready Harry. We'll need some supplies though. We need to learn to Apparate too, in case of emergencies and to get to the locket and the ring. We'll need to be ready for anything. Once Voldemort knows we're gone from the castle, and he'll find out, he'll wage open war on everyone. There will not be many places we can use to hide from him, not without endangering innocents."

Harry nodded, knowing they had to plan it all out. It would take several days, if not weeks, before they were ready.

"Let's get started then." Harry decided. As they worked on getting a list of necessary supplies and argued about who should be told what, Harry realized he'd want no one else at his side. Not even Dumbledore. No one but Bella, whether she was just Bella Malfoy or the Empress Bella.

It brought him some peace, knowing this, since he knew he and Bella would be in constant danger once they stepped beyond Hogwarts' grounds.

* * *

**_I know, my updating sucks and I need to get my butt working. I'm sorry! ^ ^ But I hope this chapter sort of makes up for it. Ta! _**


	54. In Darkness

**~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot. **

**I'm a horrible procrastinator. I cannot apologize enough for how long this update took. My New Year's Resolution is to try and get all my fics completed. **

* * *

**Part Six **

_**Chapter Fifty-Four: In Darkness**_

Bella scowled as her short hair once more whipped into her face. It hadn't grown much since the summer battle with Baldur. She sort of missed her long hair, when she actually stopped to think about it. She'd always worn it long, mainly because her mother had worn it long.

Her fake-mother at any rate. Bella felt a little stab of mourning cut through her. Sure Veracruz had lied to her for mostly her entire life, had pretended to be Mireya Diaz, had let Lucius suffer under a curse for several years...but...

Sometimes Bella would awake and it would be in that inbetween time of day when it was neither night nor morning. It was a gray hour and Bella would sit, looking around at the decadence she was surrounded by, looking around at the pictures of everyone she considered dear, and she'd feel the urge to cry. She'd wonder if she shouldn't just let Veracruz out of Azkaban, hide her away somewhere, call her Mama and let the woman soothe her. Pretend she hadn't lost Mireya.

And thoughts of Mireya, the woman she could have been, led to thoughts of Aurora, and the pain would double. Bella wasn't sure if anyone had ever had to handle that sort of pain. She hadn't just lost a mother, she'd lost _three_-

"Bell?" Harry's call had her snapping out of her thoughts. She smiled softly at her boyfriend, loving how Harry smiled even as a tinge of worry colored his emerald eyes. "You okay?"

"Just fine Harry." Bella replied, making Harry snort. He knew her better than that, Bella thought with a flash of warmth. "I was just thinking about my many mothers..." Bella admitted in a whisper, earning a soft kiss on the cheek from Harry. Harry's lips were cold, but that was to be expected. Winter's chill was upon them.

They had worked hard since September, gathering necessary supplies and figuring out who would be told what and when.

They'd told their families, of course. Well they'd told them they were going on a quest to weaken Voldemort. After discussing it with Dumbledore, they'd decided the less people who knew the truth, the better. Neither Lucius, Severus, Sirius, Remus, or Draco had been happy when they'd been told.

The adults had very firmly declared they'd be joining them on their quest. But with all four of them disappearing along with Bella and Harry, it would raise way too many suspicions. They were still arguing it out of course, but Harry just knew they'd see reason and left them to it.

Draco had declared the Knights would follow them, which Bella had shot down immediately. If all the Knights and the Empress were gone, Voldemort was definitely going to wonder what they were up to. If just Harry and Bella were gone, everyone would have no trouble spreading lies about secret alliances and Bella being kept busy with Empire duties.

Lucius had talked about the Elemental Holders at least joining Harry and Bella, which they were still debating. Fleur, Luna, Draco, and Emily would be great assets no doubt. And if their basilisk fangs couldn't destroy the Horcruxes for whatever reason, surely the Elements would?

On top of that was all the work Bella had been doing with the temporary Minsitry in order to prepare for her long absence. After finding the locket and the ring, they'd have to take time finding the other three.

Harry had already decided Nagini would have to be last. She wouldn't be leaving Voldemort's side anytime soon, he'd figured. Which gave them time to locate the item of Ravenclaw or Gryffindor and Hufflepuff's cup.

Once those were found, they'd be ready to face Voldemort.

Harry wasn't sure how he felt about that, knowing the end was so near.

Bella wasn't sure how she felt about it either. But they'd focus on that later, when there was time.

December had begun with a blizzard and the grounds were frosty and covered in a blanket of snow. Trails and tracks showed where people and creatures had stepped. But everything was silent as the young couple walked towards the Quidditch Pitch. It was a bit too quiet though. Bella felt a little numbed with the return of winter.

"After Christmas." Harry broke the silence as they took a seat in the stands, cuddled close against the frozen air. "We're not coming back."

"Yeah." Bella agreed. They'd decided that'd be a perfect time to disappear.

"Are we going to let them come?" Harry wondered, meaning the Knights.

"Fleur won't want to leave Bill." Bella murmured. "Luna wouldn't mind coming along, and Draco and Emily would be happy to keep an eye on us."

"But?" Harry prompted, sensing the word hanging in the air.

"It just seems too risky to me." Bella murmured, looking up at Harry. "It's not some secret artifact we're hunting down. It's pieces of _him_." She whispered, the bitter winter air catching the words. Harry nodded, thinking along the same lines. "We're not going to get away without them though." Bella said then, shaking her head with a smirk. "They'll tag along in the end and we won't be able to stop them."

Harry looked off at the castle for a long time, Bella just leaning into him and renewing the Warming Charms on their clothes. At last Harry stirred, looking down at Bella.

"Then," Harry murmured with slightly narrowed eyes, "we'll have to leave when they're not expecting it."

* * *

The tunnel they'd created from the dungeons to the Whomping Willow still existed. Harry felt a small shiver pass through him as he recalled why they'd built it in the first place. Which led him to the memory of Bella's magical overload.

Grimacing, he looked ahead to the little bobbing light he'd conjured. They'd both left notes on their beds, stating their reasons for leaving and apologizing profusely. Harry wasn't sorry they were sneaking away at midnight though. He had been thinking all the same things Bella had, mulling them over since Dumbledore had given them the list of Horcrux. He knew eventually Bella would think it too.

The less people who knew about this mission, the better. Dumbledore, Harry, and Bella were the only ones who needed to know. Dumbledore was safely puttering about in a Fidelius-protected home on the coast. He was safe and that eased Harry's mind. Dumbledore would be needed, in case Harry and Bella failed.

Harry forced himself to think that possiblity. Immortal they both may be, but it wouldn't last forever. They'd be in close contact with things of the deepest, darkest nature. They'd be destorying items that had sat untouched for years, drawing in energy, strengthening their Dark protections.

Who knew what could happen? They could get blown up, or lose some magic, or memories...

They both carried backpacks, with Expansion charms set on them that allowed them to carry their supplies and some preserved food the house-elves had made for them. Lightening charms made the bags no heavier than anything they'd carried during their school years.

Lucius and Sirius had worked them hard on learning Apparition. They'd barely gotten the hang of it though, which sort of worried Harry. Bella had declared they'd wing it if necessary.

They'd brought brooms, a tent, books and many other items. Dumbledore had even given them two Portkeys, which would take them to safe houses he'd had in the first war.

"I feel kind of bad." Bella's voice echoed in the tunnel, which she'd sealed on the other end before they'd started their journey. "Leaving them behind like this."

"We'll be putting them in too much danger any other way." Harry replied. "I'm putting you in enough danger as it is."

Bella turned, the conjured light casting shadows on her face. "I'm a child of the Aku no Hana crafted by Life and Death themselves. I'll be fine. I'm practically immortal." She huffed, her hand lifting to hover in front of her chest in memory of when she'd first learned that little fact.

"We won't live forever though." Harry argued, eyes narrowing. "Jett and Aurora..." He trailed off, seeing the flash of pain in Bella's eyes.

"Yes well, they lived since the dawn of Time itself. And Emily's been around for a while too." Bella muttered, turning around again. Harry sighed, reaching out and taking Bella's hand.

"Sorry, Bell." He apologized. Bella stopped, turning to look at him again with a resigned smile.

"I'm sorry too. You're right and you're worried. I shouldn't be so flippant about this. We don't know how much we can withstand. Aurora and Jett mostly stayed out of mortal affairs. We're diving right into them. Right into a deep darkness that may just swallow us whole." Bella looked away for a second. "I'm kind of scared."

Harry found himself smiling. He walked up and hugged Bella. Aside from Draco, Harry didn't think anyone would ever hear the depths of Bella's vulnerability. She was always going to hide it as best as she could. Harry though, he got to see all sides of Bella. It made him feel better, funny enough.

"I am too." And because she could admit it, Harry knew he could too. Bella hugged him tight as they stood there, breath becoming visible in the cool tunnel.

In no time at all it seemed they reached the junction with the Whomping Willow tunnel and moved up into the Shrieking Shack. It was deep night when they managed to get the shack's door open. No moon hung in the sky, and very few lights were on in the village.

"Before we leave..." Bella spoke up as they began to head towards the edge of the village. "There's one place I need to see."

Harry quirked an eyebrow but motioned for Bella to lead. She walked a step or two ahead, not looking back at him. Or rather, not looking back at Hogwarts. Harry too wasn't looking back. He didn't want to think about when he'd next get to see his first home.

They took a road Harry didn't usually pay attention to. It took them past some Hogsmead houses and then through a wide field. The road passed through a cluster of hills and suddenly in the distance Harry could see a manor.

The fifteen minute walk led them to golden gates that gleamed even in the darkness.

"I lived here after Father was put in prison." Bella said as she walked up to the gates, gloved hands curling around the bars. Harry stood beside her, eyeing the manor he'd heard Bella mention a handful of times. "Draco and I were happy here. Even though I was kept inside, behind these gilded bars." Bella murmured, fingers tightening on the gold. "With our fake-mothers, we were really happy. I was loved. I know that they did something wrong, part of me will never forgive them for that..."

Harry turned to look at Bella in the dark. She wasn't seeing the present, he thought, but looking back into the past.

"I wonder if you have a place like this." Bella said, hand motioning towards the manor. Harry shook his head until Bella spoke. "I mean, a place where you have only good memories. Even with the normal childish fights, the days when I got mad at my fake-mother... This place was beautiful. Is beautiful. I met Sirius here and Draco and I played here, and our fake-mothers took care of us..."

"They lied, and stole, and I hate them... But I also miss them. My fake-Tia Cissa. My false Mama. Does that make my happy memories worth less than when I thought they were our true mothers?" Bella wondered.

It was silent for a long moment before Harry shook his head. "No." Bella finally looked over at him, only to find Harry was now looking faraway, seeing beyond the moment. "She was your mother, in the ways that count. True she was a fraud and did bad things, but she did take care of you. She gave you a home and affection and you never would have thought anything of it if things had stayed the same. She would have been your mother and you would have continued to be happy. So I don't think it makes the memories worth any less than before."

When Harry looked at her, Bella was smiling, tears glistening in her eyes. "Thank you, Harry." She turned to gaze for a moment longer at the manor then turned slowly away. "I just needed to see this place once more. Like I said, a lot of my happiest memories were made here." Bella nodded twice, cast a glance over her shoulder, then took Harry's hand. "Okay. Let's go. Where should we head first? The ring or the locket?"

Harry tightened his grasp on Bella's hand as he thought about it. "The ring."

Bella nodded and hugged Harry, who waited until she was clutching his robes and then turned sharply to the side.

Black Manor disappeared.

* * *

Emily sighed. Being the Time Holder was such a pain some days. Like today.

"For the last time, I can't tell you where they've gone without affecting the time flow." Emily bit out, eyes narrowing on Draco who was scowling at her. He was adorable when he was mad, Emily couldn't help but think, before shaking that thought out of her head.

"Are they safe at least?" Draco demanded.

"Yes." _For now_, Emily added to herself. She didn't need Draco and the others blundering off to play Rescue Mission when Bella and Harry were doing exactly what they needed to be doing. There was danger of course, in war there is always danger, but Emily had seen that they'd be alright. They'd come out of this victorious. A new Era had dawned and they would be major players in it.

This was one future Emily could live with. She wouldn't give up the happiness she'd seen just because Draco was being an overprotective big brother.

"Bella's going to be fine, Draco." Emily murmured, her eyes focused on a small village that Draco couldn't see. "I've seen it, remember? And she has Harry with her. Harry will protect her. He would die for her, Draco."

The sound of a disbelieving snort had Emily refocusing on the young blond before her. Draco's hands were clenched into fists, his jaw tight, his eyes narrowed. "You don't believe me?" Emily harrumphed when Draco gave a curt shake of his head. It became clear then, a picture Emily hadn't seen before in her weird mind-hops through time. Draco talking with his father. Draco voicing his worries about Bella's relationship with Harry.

"You idiot." Emily laughed once she returned to the present moment. Draco blinked at her sudden change in demeanor. "Why don't you open your eyes and see what's right in front of you?" The Time Holder stood, meeting Draco's cool gaze with one of her own. "Has everything I've told you, all been for nothing? Don't you see?"

"See what?" Draco was scowling again.

"See that, from the moment the Aku no Hana was given to Harry, he and Bella were bound together in ways that are irreversible." Emily would admit to being a tiny bit jealous of that fact. She had never believed in soul mates, but that's what Bella and Harry were. From the moment Harry took the Flower of Evil into his body, allowed it to fuse with his life force, he became Bella's soul mate. Bella in turn, became his. Why?

Because the flower Harry had picked was born of the same vine as the one Bella's had been on before Life and Death placed it into Mireya's womb. The same vine. A binding, living tie. Ancient magic only they could control had formed cords of fate around them from the moment Harry took in his chosen Aku no Hana.

Emily told Draco all of this, watching the shock, fascination, and awe pass over his face with a swiftness that would have made others dizzy.

"So when I say Harry would die for her, I did not say so lightly." Emily finished, sitting back down and curling up next to the window.

Draco said not a word more, but left. No doubt going off to his favorite thinking spot, Emily thought fondly as she shut her eyes and checked on Harry and Bella.

* * *

Little Hangleton was a rather dreary place. The snow made it look a little nicer though.

After Apparating away from Black Manor, they'd reappeared in a forest somewhere. As they were all intact and it was very cold and dark, they'd set up their tent for the evening.

Harry hadn't slept much, being too keyed up to even try. He'd sat up on the couch in the small living room/kitchen just keeping an eye on the outside, keeping his senses tuned into the wards they'd set up.

Bella had resorted to drugging herself with a sleeping draught and managed to get eight solid hours before Harry woke her.

They'd made it to the village early in the morning. People gave them curious looks as they passed by but they just ignored it. They had a mission in this place. It was still bizarre to think that this small place had once housed the people who would concieve Voldemort. It was such a simple, out of the way area. Bella had been expecting dark spiraling towers and omnious clouds that even the sun couldn't burn away.

But no. Little Hangleton looked like any other quaint village covered in snow. The big manor house sat up on a hill overlooking the village and the graveyard gates were just visible from the main street. Harry gave it a look before shuddering lightly and pulling Bella far from that side of the village.

Following the road up to the main house, they paused to study it. This was where it all began. A love-struck, plain girl and a rich, handsome young man. Opposites in every way. Voldemort had come about due to love potions or some charm and he'd been abandoned by both of his parents before he'd even opened his eyes for the first time.

"It's sad." Bella whispered as they followed Emily's directions and found the dilapilated hovel. "He never really stood a chance."

Harry looked at Bella, wondering at that comment before focusing on the hovel. Albus had told them to be on their guard. The ring would have some sort of protection on it. They'd have to be prepared for anything.

The door held no snake nailed to it now, like in the memory of Ogden, but it still had a forboding feeling. Harry stepped in front of Bella, causing his girlfriend to shake her head. Really, one would think he was the one with the ability to control an element!

Harry reached out and pushed the door open slowly, wincing at the old creak in the hinges. The hovel was dark and was covered in layers of dust and mold and other grime. There was also a layer of something smothering. An oily presence that grew worse as they stepped further into the room.

Using her gift, Bella was trying to search out the area where the ring could be hidden. She figured it'd be safe enough to search for a part of the earth that felt different from the surrounding area. Surely that would work, considering such Dark Magic as what went into a Horcrux would leave some impression if it had been buried there for years and years.

Bella suddenly couldn't continue. She gagged and sputtered before dropping to her knees, pale hands clutching her throat. Harry whirled around, wondering what had caused this.

"Bell? Bell! What is it?" Harry's hands fluttered uselessly around his girlfriend, eyes wide as Bella continued to try and breathe. Harry got the idea to drag her back towards the door and moved to put his arms around her, pulling her through decades of dirt and grime until she could breathe again. There was a pregnant pause as Bella rolled onto her side, sucking air in greedily. "Bell! What happened?"

"The earth's poisoned." Bella whispered hoarsely, grey eyes dripping tears as she stared at a corner of the tiny hovel's sitting area. "It's horrible. The earth's dead and poisoned." Bella murmured as Harry dug around in his pack and drew out a water bottle. Helping Bella sit up, Harry leaned her against the wall by the door, putting the water bottle in her shaking hands.

"Tell me where." Harry commanded softly. Bella wanted to argue, to tell him it was too dangerous, but then she realized that the magic wasn't affecting Harry as much as her. It was then that Bella realized for all her great powers, Harry would be the one with the upper hand in this hunt. He bore a mark of Voldemort as well. He would have some immunity to whatever enchantments and magicks surrounded the Horcrux.

Silently, Bella pointed him to the top right corner of the room. Harry gave her a single nod before holding his wand aloft and heading for that area. The Dark Magic Voldemort had used was a twisted thing, leaving that oily impression in the air. Harry pressed on though, knowing that they were so close to the ring.

A floorboard creaked as he got closer and he paused, head cocked to the side. From the corner came a huge shadow, a huge, shapeless thing that spread upward and outward. Harry held his ground, teeth clenched and wand held steady.

The shadow dripped darker black ooze and the thing had one eye that glowed with blue-black light. Harry felt cold and almost as bad as when he was faced with a Dementor. The shadow soon covered Harry, leaving Bella staring at the corner with dread.

Harry blinked and the shadow was gone then. He was back in the hovel, the ring in his hand. How had it gotten there? Turning, he tried to find Bella but the hovel was empty. He moved over to the wall where he'd left her, finding only the water bottle and a small speck of something thicker, darker on the ground. Worried, Harry searched the whole hovel. "Bell! Bell! Answer me! Where are you!"

No answer came. Harry searched every inch but answer came. He returned to the front room and tried to calm himself. She couldn't be too badly hurt. There wasn't a lot of blood on the ground. Bella could take care of herself too. She was the Earth Holder.

But then where'd she go?

"Put the ring on." A soft voice whispered in Harry's mind. "You'll be able to find her then." Harry looked around but couldn't see anyone who could have spoken. Still, the idea had merit. It was a powerful ring after all, and wasn't that why he'd come looking for it?

He was just about to when something slapped him hard across the face. "Harry!" Bella's voice sounded frantic. Harry couldn't see her though. "Harry! Wake up!" Another hard slap had Harry seeing colored dots and a faint outline of Bella. "Harry! Don't put that ring on! Harry! Throw it! Throw it away!"

Harry looked down at the glowing ring and got mad. Why shouldn't he put it on? He'd gotten it all by himself. The ring would help him! He'd be better, more powerful. He'd be able to do anything he wanted, if he'd just put the ring on.

"Please Harry! Don't put it on!" Bella's voice and outline begged him. Harry felt the anger dissolve. If Bella was asking him not to, then he shouldn't. She always watched out for him, wanted the best for him. She wouldn't tell him not to if it wasn't for a good reason, would she? No, she wouldn't.

"Expecto Patronum!" The shout had Harry blinking right before he was bowled over by Bella's Jaguar Patronus. Harry felt drained suddenly as Bella shouted a few quick hexes and curses, sounding desperate and afraid.

It was suddenly cold and Harry blinked again. He was laying in the snow in the middle of a field. Bella was laying beside him, looking worse than he felt. Slowly he rolled over and crawled to her side. He gave a small whimper when he saw the burn on her face and the bit of hair that had been singed off. Her left hand was burned as well and clenched in a tight fist, smoke rising slowly from it. In her right hand was a basilisk fang, dripping a few drops of venom unnervingly close to her wrist.

Harry threw the fang aside first, then looked around for his wand, which he found laying in the snow between him and Bella. He began setting up the safety spells. Once a safe perimeter was set up, he focused on finding burn cream and bandages.

Bella remained unconscious as he worked, first on her face then on her hand. In her burned hand he found the ugly Gaunt ring, cracked down the middle, silver band tarnished. Harry was confused but he could wait for Bella to come back to him.

Once her injuries were covered, Harry put the broken Horcrux into a special box Albus had given them. He hurried to set up the tent and carried Bella into her bedroom.

It was nearly midnight when she finally came around. Harry was relieved to see her eye open. "Harry." Bella looked just as relieved when she spotted him sitting by her bedside, a tray of cold soup on the small bedside table. "You're okay." She murmured.

"Yeah. You got pretty banged up though. What happened?" Harry asked. Bella sat up, grimacing at the smell of the burn cream and the tug of the bandages, before taking Harry's hands in hers. She took a deep breath then spoke.

The shadow thing had encased Harry, then it had begun to shrink around him. Bella had watched in horror as the shadow completely covered Harry's body and sunk into his skin, turning his fair complexion a ashy gray color. Harry's eyes had turned blue-black and in his hand he'd held the ring. Bella had called to him but he hadn't answered, merely standing there for several minutes before she heard a loud hissing. She realized it was coming from the ring and when Harry reacted, that it was Parseltongue. She'd seen the ring gleam and knew if Harry put it on, he'd be hurt. So she'd gotten up and tried to get him to snap out of his trance.

The Horcrux had lashed out at her, causing her to defend herself. She'd gotten the idea of hitting Harry with the Patronus on a whim, hoping that if anything, it might knock some sense into him. It had blasted him into a corner and he'd lost hold of the ring. The shadow had left him, going over to the ring, but she'd been a little quicker and Summoned one of the basilisk fangs. She'd struck the shadow first, causing it to shriek and wither away into nothingness. Her second strike had hit the ring dead on the center. It had shrieked as well, and she'd watched some black tar-like thing spill out of it. Thinking it was over, she'd picked it up. It had released a blue fire that was colder than any ice then, hence the burns on her face and hand.

Hearing people approaching, she'd used the last bit of energy to Apparate them away. She'd passed out as soon as they landed.

Harry listened with a bit of shame. The Horcrux had overpowered him. How could he have let that happen?

Bella seemed to know what he was thinking and she pulled him into a hug. "It's alright. It was the enchantments no doubt. That's what was supposed to happen to anyone who found it. The ring would trick a person into putting it on and then that shadow thing would probably gobble the person right up."

"What was that shadowy thing anyway?" Harry wondered as he accepted the comfort. He still felt horrible, but Bella had a point. This was a piece of Voldemort they were talking about.

"I think I have an idea." Bella murmured, picking up her wand and summoning something from her backpack. It turned out to be Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. She flipped through a few pages before landing on the L section. "A lethifold." She pointed to the short paragraph and Harry read over it. "Or something very close to it that Voldemort tied into the ring somehow."

Harry nodded slowly before letting out a heavy sigh. "One down." He uttered wearily. He felt double his age then. Bella gave him a half-smile, due to her bandages, and then tugged him into laying down next to her. Harry blushed, though he noted Bella did too.

"I might have a nightmare." Bella mumbled as she turned onto her side and faced the canvas wall of her tiny tent bedroom. "Would you stay?"

Harry responded by turning over so that their backs touched and whispering a goodnight.

* * *

**And there it is! Sheesh, one would think this would come out faster, ne? I'll try, readers, I really will! Till next time! **


	55. Poisonous Soul

**~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot. **

* * *

**Part Six **

_**Chapter Fifty-Five: Poisonous Soul**_

The locket proved by far the easiest to locate, seeing as it had somehow found itself within Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Destroying the locket gave them a small sense of calm as the winter progressed.

However, by destroying the locket and the ring, Harry and Bella were forced to sit down while all around them, Voldemort continued his assault on both the Muggle and Wizarding worlds.

"Four down." Harry said on Christmas Eve morning, handing Bella a steaming cup of coffee. Both of them had found coffee a nice little comfort over the past three weeks. They were currently camping out in a meadow just outside London. London was the general location of Hufflepuff's Cup, according to Dumbledore and Emily. For the last three weeks they'd been combing over London, Bella stretching her powers to their fullest, trying to catch a small clue as to where the cup was hidden.

So far they'd struck out. The tension had given way to several arguments between Bella and Harry over the last week. Frustrated and needing a bit of alone time, Harry had popped into Magical London to collect some papers. Strewn in with the latest war news, the papers also held messages of encouragment from all sorts of people for Harry and Bella. People believed their disappearance was to help them get stronger, to give them some specialized training, while Bella's Warriors and the Phoenix members engaged the Death Eaters and Voldemort's allies.

"That's something, at least." Bella replied, not sparing the stack of papers a glance as she marked off another section of London. She took a sip of her coffee, smiling faintly at Harry who gave a tired smile in return. With their tempers cooled again, they were feeling a bit fragile around each other. Harry hated the feeling but he also counted it as a victory that Bella hadn't run back to Hogwarts yet. He wouldn't have blamed her if she had.

"I had a thought." Harry offered, taking the map from Bella and picking up a quill. "We should give Magical London a sweep too."

Bella stopped the cup halfway to her lips before setting it down delicately and then letting her forehead thunk onto the tabletop loudly. Harry gave a jump, eyes wide as Bella lifted her head. She'd have a bump in a few minutes, no doubt. "Bell?"

"Why didn't we do that first!" She whispered, jumping up from her seat and summoning her cloak and boots. Harry stared for a second longer then hurried to grab his own cloak as Bella began to walk out of the tent. "It's so obvious! Why would he hide it anywhere else!"

"Because it's so obvious?" Harry offered, glad to see Bella fired up. "Remember, he grew up in a Muggle orphanage somewhere in the city. It could have been anywhere!"

Bella waved away his explanation, causing Harry to roll his eyes in exasperation. The Empress wouldn't accept any rational explanations right now. She was no doubt cursing herself a fool for not being omnipotent and thinking of this first. When this was all over with, Harry was going to do everything he could to get Bella to retire the Empress for good. It didn't the young woman any good at all!

After dismantling their campsite, they hurriedly threw on glamours and headed to Diagon Alley.

The sweep of Diagon Alley took almost an hour, including a side trip down into Knockturn. When they resurfaced from the seedy street they paused. Bella gulped down a sudden lump in her throat. Following her senses, she walked on until she was at the foot of the steps of Gringotts.

"Don't tell me." Harry groaned, recalling Hagrid's words from his first trip to the bank. That day felt like several lifetimes ago now.

"Yes." Bella replied, figuring there was no use in sugar-coating anything, especially as her power sensed something unnatural below their feet. "It's in the bank."

"Damn."

They left then, knowing they'd need a better plan to infiltrate Gringotts. Especially if the protections on the cup were stronger than on the ring.

* * *

"Emily!" Draco called as he watched the young woman turn around and face him.

"Yes?" Emily wondered, coming out of her stupor. She'd been checking up on the future. So far nothing had changed, which was a good sign. She'd just been about to peek in on Harry and Bella. She couldn't interfere, like she had in the last several futures she'd lived through, but she could make sure they stayed safe.

"How are they?" Draco asked and Emily cocked her head, her eyes going dull as she used her power to spy on the young couple. Harry was currently pacing, biting his lip while Bella was sitting on a stool, her eyes narrowed in thought.

"Busy." Emily said after a few more seconds. "But they have destroyed both the ring and locket by now." Emily smirked suddenly. "You know, if you truly wanted to, you could use your Element to just force your way into their camp, enchantments or no."

Draco nodded, looking away out the window. Christmas had passed by in a silent sort of way. It was the first Christmas Draco could remember not sharing with Bella.

"I could. But if they'd wanted me to go with them, they'd have asked me to." Draco said slowly. It had taken a few weeks for him to come to terms with everything, which was why he hadn't tried going after them with his Element before. "And I just get this feeling like I'm not supposed to be there. I have to stay here. They're working on a way to end Voldemort for good. My job... Our job is to keep Voldemort from figuring that out. Right?"

Emily's smile was the only answer Draco needed. Emily turned back around, wanting to spy on the sixteen-year-olds some more but Draco's gentle hand on her elbow stopped her.

"It doesn't end badly this time?" The young man asked and Emily couldn't help but pull him into a hug.

"No." Emily promised. "It doesn't end badly at all."

The end was rough of course, no war had ever ended without bloodshed, but it was going to work out alright. Emily could see that. She had no desire to change this future.

* * *

"Imperio." Harry whispered and the goblin in front of him stiffened then relaxed, eyes cloudy as the goblin awaited an order.

It had taken a few days to work out the only plan they could figure out. Harry had gone under his Invisiblity Cloak while Bella strolled fearlessly up the steps of the bank. She'd asked to be let into her vault and the goblin had taken her down. When they reached Bella's vault though, Harry cast the Imperius on the goblin.

"Take us further down." Harry commanded as Bella focused on the feeling of the Horcrux. "We need to go further."

The goblin put the cart into motion and they swept further downward. The plan was full of pitfalls, and Bella hadn't exactly been able to hide herself once she set foot into the bank. If any Dark sympathizer had seen her, the Death Eaters could already have been called. They needed to be quick about this.

"It's at the very bottom!" Bella called out suddenly as they passed under a waterfall. The cart gave a lurch and they jumped over a gap in the tracks. Harry wondered what that was about before commanding the goblin to take them to the very bottom.

The cart reached the end of the tracks and they were faced with about twenty vaults. What they hadn't forseen was the dragon that gave a warning growl at them as they approached.

Bella worked quickly, even as her senses were assaulted by the presence of the poisonous Horcrux. She erected an earthen cage for the dragon, with a small slit at the top to keep it from suffocating while they worked.

With the dragon subdued for the time being, Bella began to concentrate. She gagged and spat quite a number of times before her breath was once more taken from her. "This one." She rasped as she backed away from the vault, from which flowed the noxious aura of the unnaturally divided soul.

"Whose vault is this?" Harry asked the goblin as Bella took up a protective stance between the dragon and their position.

"This is the Lestrange vault." The goblin replied.

"Can you open it?" Harry wondered and the goblin nodded, pulling out a large gold key and moving forward to open the vault. Obviously the goblins had to have a master key to every vault, which Harry was very thankful for.

The vault opened and Harry stepped inside cautiously, lighting his wand and looking over the mountains of gold to try and find Hufflepuff's cup.

With a twinge in his scar, he finally spotted it. He made to start climbing on a golden chest when it vibrated alarmingly and split into four identical chests. Harry stumbled back and hit a shield, which burst into several replicas as well as burned Harry's unfortunate arm.

"Harry!" Bella called from beyond the entrance. "What's going on!"

"I don't know! Stay back though!" Harry called back, knowing Bella would just get hurt if she tried to brave the Horcrux and whatever enchantments the treasure had on it.

Harry sent the goblin back out, lest it get caught in the mess Harry was making, then he focused on trying to get to the cup without touching anything.

"Bell! I need a staircase or something!" Harry shouted suddenly.

"Okay. Hang on." A second later Harry felt the stone under him shift and he was suddenly on top of a short pillar, with the cup within reach.

He had just closed a hand around it when his scar gave a searing burn and he was sucked into a vision of Voldemort.

The man was cackling as he called forth several Death Eaters. "The girl's been spotted in Gingotts. Bring me the Empress! I will have fun breaking her of her false impressions of power!"

Harry returned to his own mind and found himself on the ground, the cup clutched in his hand. He must have fallen from the pillar and touched several things along the way, as he was partially buried under burning gold. Moaning as he got out from under the mess, he hobbled out of the vault and ordered the goblin to shut it. They then loaded themselves back on the cart and Bella released the dragon from his prison, also releasing a great fireball the dragon had no doubt been building up. The flames licked at the cart, and some of their hair was melted away from the sheer heat, but they managed to outrun it.

They'd just gotten to the top of the tracks when the door burst open. Bella shoved Harry behind her, waving her hand in a swinging motion. The rock wall opened behind Harry and he, the goblin, and Bella fell into the small alcove. Bella had just shut the front with a thin facade of rock when they heard several voices commanding to be taken to Bella Malfoy's vault.

"Too close." Harry whispered as Bella trembled in front of him.

Bella didn't reply. She was green and looked ready to throw up her last four meals. Harry winced but in the small space he couldn't destroy the cup.

Bella pushed her power out, creating a hallway that took them right into the main hall. Creating a small hole, she saw there were guards everywhere.

"Obliviate." Bella whispered and the goblin that had helped them went dreamy eyed for several seconds. Bella created a small opening and pushed the dazed being out before shutting the space again. Instead she focused on making them a tunnel through the stone and marble until they reached the outside again.

They burst out of a side wall and Bella fell in a heap in the shadows. Harry took a fang and stabbed the cup in rapid movements. The cup had no great enchantments on it to stop them. It let out a simple wail as it was destroyed, though. Harry shoved the cup quickly into the special box and then moved to Bella, who had sicked up in a corner. Harry cradled her to his side before Apparating them away to a safer destination.

* * *

"Nagini will be with old Tom." Harry reasoned as he wiped at the sweat on Bella's brow. After they'd Apparated to the Forest of Dean, she'd fallen into a fever. Harry felt badly for her. For all he knew the Horcrux could literally be poisoning her everytime she was exposed to a living one. He'd have to be more careful with her. "We won't see her until we face him again."

"Which just leaves something of Ravenclaw's or Gryffindor's." Bella murmured, grimacing at how cold she felt even as sweat pooled under her shirt. "Where was that supposed to be, again?"

Harry summoned their notes and looked for the mention of Ravenclaw's or Gryffindor's item. "According to Emily, it's..." Harry trailed off when he saw the name of where they'd next have to search.

"Where?" Bella prompted when Harry had been silent for too long. Wordlessly, Harry handed over the parchment. Bella gasped softly when her eyes fell on the name. "Godric's Hollow."

Harry nodded. Godric's Hollow, where it all began. Where his life had both started and ended. Where his parents had died to give him a chance at living.

Bella didn't know how to comfort Harry as he remained stonily silent on her bedside, automatically dipping the towel in cold water and wiping her face free of sweat.

* * *

It was snowy thickly when they Apparated to the edge of the mixed Muggle and Wizarding village. The houses all looked old and had a certain charm to them that reminded the couple of Hogsmeade at Christmastime. New Years had passed three days ago. Bella had spent most of those three days either sweating profusely or throwing up anything she managed to swallow down. Harry had to resort to feeding her nutrient potions to counteract the effects of the Horcrux poisoning. He had wanted Bella to stay in the tent in the forest, but Bella was always going to be stubborn.

Hand in hand, they walked down the main street of Godric's Hollow. People bustled around them, heading to the small shopping area or to their homes. A car or two passed them by, no doubt on their way to the nearest city. They went mostly unnoticed as they walked, dressed in Muggle clothing and speaking in whispers.

They were passing in front of a chruch when Harry stopped. Bella looked over to see why and spotted it. The memorial of Harry and his parents, sitting where an old war memorial had sat. Magic, no doubt. They stood there, staring at it, for a few minutes before Harry turned away.

It was Bella who stopped them next, two minutes later. "You want to see them, don't you?" Bella whispered, motioning to the graveyard. Harry hesitated for only a second before leading the way into the graveyard.

The ground here was just as dead as it had been in the graveyard of Little Hangleton two years ago. But this graveyard didn't have the same coldness and darkness to it. There was touches of life here and there. Seeds just waiting for the spring to sprout and grow, trees that would grow beautiful with leaves and blossoms. There was something, which eased Bella's trepidation.

She let Harry get ahead of her on purpose. This was for Harry. She'd had her farewell of Black Manor. Harry needed to visit his parents.

Harry stood in front of the joint headstone for his parents. Their names, birth dates and death dates, were listed along with the phrase, "_The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death_."

He stood there for a few minutes, the snow falling silently and the cool air making his cheeks and nose numb. Bella joined him after ten minutes, holding a bouquet of white roses.

Harry took them, setting them gently over the frozen ground where his parents lay, unaware that he was standing right above them.

"When this is over, we'll head back to the Garden." Harry promised, taking Bella's hand in his and turning away. Bella smiled, squeezing his hand.

"That'd be nice. An island vacation." Bella replied. Harry smiled faintly before they left the graveyard. Bella began to stretch her senses out.

Harry was silent for about an hour as they circled around, the village, letting Bella's Earth powers seek out any disturbances.

"So if this is Godric's Hollow," Harry reasoned as they grew closer towards the more wizarding part of the village, "does that mean he found something other than the sword of Gryffindor?"

Bella stopped suddenly and put a hand to her mouth. Harry recognized that sick look and let his eyes move over the lane, looking for the place Bella was reacting to. After a few seconds, Bella pressed on. "Take it easy, Bell!" Harry commanded, grabbing Bella's arm and forcing her to stop. "I think I can take it from here." He said.

"No, the area's still to large. Let me narrow it down." Bella argued and yanked her arm away.

Harry growled in frustration. "Merlin save me from the Empress." He muttered before following his girlfriend to the last house on the lane.

Bella was leaning against the picket fence, face drawn and pale. She was panting slightly as she looked ahead of her. Harry was about to scold her again when he saw the house.

A sign had appeared and Harry looked at it, feeling his throat tighten as he read why the house had been preserved in its ruined state. Over the official looking sign was graffiti, messages of support and good will to Harry.

"It's inside." Bella whispered, her breathing labored. "It feels worse than all the others." She warned as Harry tugged her back until she was across the lane.

"Wait here." Harry commanded, trying to make himself as stern and imposing as he could. Bella nodded curtly, breathing slowly and deeply to try and settle her stomach. Harry dug out the box and one of the fangs then set out to enter the home.

It was too quiet, too eerie, but Harry pushed forward, past the gate, up the walkway, up the front steps. He had to stop at the front door for a few seconds before he could turn the knob and step inside.

The silence was almost smothering in the entryway. Harry grit his teeth and tried not to recall what he heard when the Dementors got too close. He wouldn't let that stop him. He had a mission. There was a Horcrux here that needed to be destroyed.

He searched the whole interior of the house, tears smarting his eyes and dust making him sneeze, before coming to the conclusion that it wasn't inside.

At the stairs he had to stop and look at them. He was probably just imagining it but he swore he could see a faint outline of where his father had lain.

That opened the floodgate and the screams of his parents as they fought to protect him echoed in his mind as he moved up the stairs.

The nursery was painted sky blue. A Gryffindor flag was tacked to one of the remaining walls, singed so that part of the lion and the -dor part of Gryffindor was gone. Scorch marks decorated the crib that had blue and red sheets and a stuffed dog still sitting in it. More stuffed toys were found in a surviving toy chest. A copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_ sat on the partially destroyed bookcase, along with some model brooms and a few other childrens' books.

Harry nearly dropped to his knees. He had to use the crib to keep from doing so.

Whirling around, Harry left, refusing to look at the floor of the nursery, lest he see the outline of his mother's body too.

He moved back outside to go and find Bella, who was leaning against the picket fence again. "I told you to stay over there!" Harry snapped. Bella sent him a cross look before pointing towards a huge tree that was behind the house.

"By that tree. If you'd let me finish, I wouldn't have made you go inside." Bella snapped back weakly. Harry yanked her back across the lane, pulling a cloak from his backpack and wrapping her up in it. She was shivering and her face had gone green again.

"You're going to be the death of me. Now stay here. I'll search it out." Harry growled. Bella looked ready to fight with him, but then Harry used a nifty little charm he'd read up to make her fall into a light sleep. She could fight it off, but it would still take at least five minutes. She'd be pissed at him, but right now Harry didn't care. It was for her own good.

"It's not your job to kill yourself while protecting me." Harry murmured as he covered her in his Invisiblity Cloak and made sure she wouldn't be found if some the village inhabitants came snooping around.

With his girlfriend taken care of, Harry moved back onto the snow-covered ground, following Bella's directions.

The tree was large and barren, the branches covered in icicles and a light dusting of snow. Harry spread out his own senses, using the powers of the Aku no Hana to try and find a disturbance in the too-silent backyard. He had the fleeting thought that this would be easier if he'd still been a Horcrux himself.

Something under his feet caught his attention and he used his magic to wipe away the snow. One of the tree's roots had broken the surface. It was odd though, curled up like a spring or-

A snake.

Harry pulled the root further up and cut into it without remorse. A hollow space inside the coiled root held a thin box.

He'd just reached inside when a hiss alerted him that he was no longer alone.

Grabbing the box, he turned just in time to see a giant serpent lurch at him. Dodging and rolling, he had enough time to recognize the serpent before it struck again.

Nagini was in Godric's Hollow! Which meant- Bella! He'd left her alone and defenseless!

Cursing himself, he shot a Stunner at Nagini, followed by a Cutting Hex, then several burning hexes. The serpent got caught by one of those and slowed in her pursuit of Harry to use the snow to put out the fire on her tail. Harry used that time to Apparate to Bella's side.

He searched but couldn't find her. He found his cloak and their backpacks but no Bella.

Nagini struck again and nearly got him by the ankle. Harry grabbed the packs and his cloak, shot Sectumsempra at the snake, then Apparated.

He'd lost Bella! He'd lost her!

* * *

Bella awoke with a severe headache. She looked around and blinked to adjust to the low light. She was somewhere dark. Not underground though. She couldn't feel the earth in here.

That was bizarre, since even in wooden houses she could feel the earth. Tied to what was once a part of it, the earth could usually be felt anywhere. Bella rolled over and whimpered as a searing pain went through her head. Her throat ached like Hades as well.

"Awake at last." A cold, high voice spoke. Bella froze and then jumped to her feet, looking all around. Her hand went to her wand...only to find it gone. Laughter cut into her senses as she looked around in the darkness, trying to find the source. "I must admit, I did not realize the little Empress would be so easily subdued. I also didn't expect to find you in Godric's Hollow, cursing your little boyfriend."

"Voldemort." Bella hissed, wincing as her headache and his voice tried to liquify her brain. "What did you do to Harry? I swear if you hurt one hair on his head-"

"I'd worry more about yourself, Earth Holder." Voldemort hissed. By this point Bella was sure he wasn't in the room with her. "The boy ran away as soon as Nagini attacked him! He didn't even bother searching for you!"

The high laughter made Bella cringe before she forced herself to laugh as well, which effectively ended Voldemort's mirth. "You're going senile you old coot, if you really expect me to believe that." Bella smirked until she was hit with a curse.

It had to be Crucio. Nothing could hurt so badly as that. Bella writhed and screamed but bore the curse until it was lifted. She lay on the floor again, panting and whimpering, trying not to scream as her nerves declared they'd been fried.

"I will only offer this once. Join me and help me defeat the boy. Or you'll suffer for the rest of your life in this cell."

Bella caught her breath and lifted herself a little from the floor. "Once I figure out how to access the earth, you're not going to last two second, Tom!" She rasped.

The laughter was back. "You won't be accessing the earth any longer, Empress." Voldemort's words put a chill in Bella's heart. "You're no longer the Earth Holder!"

"Liar! Nothing can strip that away from me!" Bella argued even as she tried to rise from the floor, to search out a trace of the earth and use it to break free of this prison.

"Nothing except the will of the other Elemental Holders, correct?" Voldemort asked and chuckled when Bella sucked in a shocked breath. "I've been doing my research, girl, and I know. Which is why I had to find another method. It's an ancient method, one which required a sacrifice, and an extremely long ritual." Voldemort paused to let Bella take that in. "Do you want to know the details, Bella?"

She didn't. But he told her anyways.

"I took possession of the new Life Holder. Such a strong child. He was the sacrifice."

"No!" Bella cried, wishing she could see the bastard as he laughed at her.

"The ritual I used was a modified one. Meant to take a portion of a person's soul, I used it instead to take a portion of your power. I was able to see right into your magical core and cut away the part that commanded your element. I sucked the earth right out of you."

Voldemort's laughter was cutting into Bella's head. Bella couldn't help it this time. She cried as Voldemort laughed at her. Bella couldn't help but feel emptiness as she realized she'd never be connected to the earth again. She might never see her family again. Never see Harry or the outside world again. She was going to die.

As she fell into despair, Voldemort watched through the wall, made transparent on his side with a useful spell. He laughed as Bella curled in on herself and lay there for a long time.

Now, all he had to do was find a way to find out just what she and the Potter boy had been up to.

* * *

_**And that's it for now. Yes, she's really no longer the Earth Holder. Voldemort's a horrible bastard, ne? **_


	56. Avada Kedavra

**~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot. **

* * *

**Part Six **

_**Chapter Fifty-Six: Avada Kedavra**_

Harry awoke in the hospital wing. For a long second he was confused. He'd been in Godric's Hollow hadn't he? Hadn't he gotten the Horcrux? Hadn't Bella-?

Bella. Something was wrong with Bella. Hurt? No. Sick? Yes, but because of the Horcrux. Had it gotten so bad Harry had brought them back to Hogwarts?

No.

Worse.

Bella was missing. Kidnapped. Gone.

Taken by Voldemort!

As everything snapped back into place, Harry shot upright, halfway through the process of throwing his blankets off when restraining hands held him still. Looking up, Harry saw Sirius looking down at him.

"Easy kid." Sirius shushed as Harry tried to speak. "It's alright."

"Bella." Harry uttered, surprised at the croak of his voice. Sirius's grim face showed Harry he hadn't just dreamt that. Bella truly was gone.

Boneless, Harry fell back onto the bed, seeing Bella's family just off to the side. Lucius and Severus's backs were facing Harry but Draco was looking right at him. Draco's face was gaunt and Harry had to look away from his dull eyes.

"How long?" Harry wondered. "Why?" He added as he motioned to his throat. It ached horribly.

"Voldemort's snake, she latched onto you as you Apparated." Sirius replied. "She got splinched but her mouth caught your shoulder, near your neck. Some of her venom got pumped into you. We already dealt with her." Sirius promised. Harry mentally crossed Nagini off the list of Horcruxes. "Dumbledore has that box you were clutching when you popped up in the Great Hall. How you bypassed the wards..."

Harry relaxed minutely when he heard Dumbledore had the Horcrux box. He would have to hunt down the old man soon.

"As for how long." Sirius's face became shadowed. "A week."

Harry felt his heart sink past his knees.

"Voldemort's attacked Diagon Alley, the Manor, Grimmauld, and Godric's Hollow." Sirius continued, furthering Harry's despair.

For a moment, Harry lay still. Then he pushed himself up once more and this time Sirius let him get out of bed.

"Where's Dumbledore?" Harry rasped.

"He's up in the Headmaster's office." Emily's voice replied. Harry turned slowly, taking in the seemingly young woman. Emily was the Time Holder. She could see the future. She'd changed the future several times. So why hadn't she warned them of this!

Emily seemed to know what Harry was thinking, for she smiled sadly. "It had to be done like this." Emily began. Harry held his hand up to stop the girl.

"There had to be another way." Harry shot back. "There's always another way."

The girl nodded slowly. "I'm proof of that, aren't I? But this wasn't one of those cases."

"Because you say so!" Harry felt a little better, blaming Emily. She knew this was coming!

"It's for the future Harry." Emily murmured, looking mournful. Harry looked away, throwing his anger back onto himself. It gave him the energy to stalk out of the hospital wing and to the headmaster's office without taking note of the ache in his throat and shoulder.

Dumbledore was already there, his eyes rising from the box on the desk as Harry slammed the door. "Harry my boy-"

"Not now." Harry cut the old wizard off. "Just give it to me straight."

Albus looked him over then nodded. "It was Ravenclaw's diadem, hidden in Godric Hollow."

"Ravenclaw and Gryffindor." Harry uttered. "Bella? The attacks?"

"In the past week the Death Eaters have attacked. At each of the four locations, they've left a lock of hair, which we've matched to Bella. She's alive still."

That eased a bit of the guilt burning through Harry's blood. "But alive doesn't mean she's not hurt." Harry said aloud what Albus had left off. Albus nodded.

"I felt I should refrain from destroying the diadem until you were awake for it. With Nagini, the ring, the locket, the diary, the cup, and yourself, that is six of the seven. This is the last one. With the death of this piece, Voldemort will be rendered as mortal as myself."

Harry took great pleasure in taking the basilisk fang and bringing it down on a crack in the diadem, not caring for the backlash of power as the soul piece died and the Horcrux was rendered nothing but tarnished silver.

"We have to get Bella back." Harry said once the Horcrux was dealt with.

"Indeed. I have no doubt however, that Tom will make an appearance in Hogsmeade soon." Albus looked through his half-moon glasses. "Harry." Just the way he said that made Harry's hair stand on end. "We must be prepared for Bella being in less than pristine state. Tom is not known for his mercy."

Harry nodded slowly, understanding why Draco had looked like the living dead. Bella might not be able to die, but she could be hurt. She could be hurt so badly she might just lose a part of herself before finding her way back to them.

* * *

Bella stared dully at the wall of her prison. She had this horrible feeling that she was only inches from the earth but she couldn't feel it at all. She couldn't feel the warmth of hibernating life. She couldn't connect with anything. It was all just darkness and emptiness.

Voldemort had appeared several times. She wasn't sure how long she'd been with the monster, but she did know the number of Cruciatus curses she'd been put under. Not to mention how many times Bellatrix Lestrange had appeared to chop off some of her hair. She'd tried to fight then, if only to keep them from using her face to commit unspeakable evil.

She'd been tortured. Of course she would be, she was a prisoner. Her body held little nicks and cuts, her bones aches from the bouts of extreme cold one Death Eater had put her under. Her face and hands felt swollen from one of the hexes that had been cast at her recently.

Bella refused to die like this though. For a while after Voldemort revealed he'd stolen her power, she'd fallen into depression. But then she'd slowly crawled out of it, knowing her power couldn't completely be ripped from her. She'd still have a dormant link to her power.

Which meant she'd be able to feel the earth again. Never use it, but she'd be able to feel it. Something in her prison cell was blocking that feel though. Otherwise she might be able to start hatching escape plans.

The door to her cell opened and Bella braced for another round of torment or hair pulling. She was caught off guard when the Death Eaters yanked her up and pushed her out into a dimly lit hallway.

Bella was pushed and kicked down the hall, up some stairs, through another hall, and finally forced into a meeting room. Several more Death Eaters and Voldemort himself were there. Bella was thrown onto the floor, landing on a skinned knee that someone had given her and refused to heal. It was probably infected by now but Bella didn't care. She focused more on who all was there and what they were saying.

"Ah Bella, so good of you to join us." Voldemort said easily, as if his prisoners often joined his meetings. "We were just preparing to march on Hogwarts."

For a second Bella was sure she'd misheard. Then she let out a raspy laugh. Someone kicked her to shut her up. Bella fell back and curled in on herself. Her stomach already hurt due to lack of food and water. Bella was starting to hallucinate about nine course meals and buffets and dancing salamanders thanks to her hunger pains.

"Is that so amusing to you, little Empress?" Voldemort wondered as he knelt down beside her and grabbed a handful of hair.

"Yes." Bella replied. "You actually think you can take Hogwarts." Voldemort yanked on her hair, ripping out the entire handful and adding to Bella's pains. She bit her lip right through but it was better than screaming. Her throat was raw enough from the screams the Cruciatus managed to bring out of her.

"I think I'll have no problem taking Hogwarts." Voldemort said silkily, his eyes narrowed as they watched Bella. "And you'll be helping me with that."

"I'd rather die." Bella told him. Voldemort's lipless mouth parted in a parody of a smile.

"Then we'll both get our wishes tonight." He said and cast a spell to throw Bella into a deep unconsciousness.

* * *

Harry was one of the firsts to reach Hogsmeade. Draco, Lucius, and Severus weren't far behind him. Warriors were already engaged in duels with Death Eaters. Shops and homes were being torn up like sand castles. Harry didn't bother with the fleeing people though. He stretched out his powers and felt it clash with Voldemort's almost immediately.

Again their powers clashed. Harry saw the white and the bursts before he felt something else just as familiar.

A warmth and silent strength, like a rock formation facing the sun. Harry felt his breath catch as he recognized Bella's power. She was alive! She was here and alive!

Harry hurried forward, casting hexes and spells as needed. He just wanted to see Bella again. Even Voldemort wasn't on his radar.

He spotted her at last, bound to a streetlamp and surrounded by so many spells the air around her wavered and sparked. "Bell!" Harry called. Bella didn't react. Her head continued to hang down, apparently asleep. "Bella!"

The barrier around her flexed and sparked as he tried to rip right through it. Bella suddenly started screaming, causing Harry to jump back. Bella's wide eyes caught his for a second before her head dropped again, eyes covered by her bangs.

"That bastard! What did he do!" Harry cursed as he tried to cut through the barrier again. Bella's screams started up again and Harry hurried away. He couldn't get closer than ten feet. He had to dismantle this barrier. But he couldn't figure out how to do it as spells and curses flew all around him. He needed time and some space-

Space. Draco.

"Draco!" Harry shouted, turning right around and looking around at the numerous and vicious duels going on around him. He needed to find that blond prat and fast! Harry cast a long glance behind him as he turned. Bella was safe in her barrier, the flying hexes glancing off the barrier and hitting other duelist, buildings, and streetlamps. Harry hated this, having to leave her again, but he had to find Draco dammit!

He hurried into the mesh of bodies, jumping over the fallen ones without taking a second to see if they were alive or dead. Rushing headlong through other duels, deflecting spells, shooting a few off when he was attacked. It took fifteen long minutes to finally find Draco. He was standing next to Zonko's and fighting off Fenrir Greyback. Harry saw another Death Eater sneaking up on the young man. "No you don't!" He promised as he Apprated right behind the would-be attacker and shot him right in the head with a Stupefy. The man crumpled as both Greyback and Draco were distracted by the bright red flash. Harry used Greyback's distraction to throw his hand out and cause several thick roots to shot up from the ground, impaling Greyback. The werewolf howled just as Draco reached up and squeezed his hand into a fist.

Harry wasn't as prepared for the sight of bone, blood, and brains spewing everywhere as Draco used his power over space to squeeze Greyback's head into pulp. Still, he managed to not care a second later as he began dragging Draco through the crowd.

"I saw Bella!" Harry shouted at him. "But the bastard put some sort of barrier around her. I can't tear it down! Everytime I get too close it starts hurting her!"

Draco's eyes filled with hope as Harry spoke, which was the first time Harry had seen them so bright since Bella first disappeared. Draco was soon dragging Harry through the battlefield, even if he didn't know where to go.

Bella appeared in their line of sight then, still surrounded by the blasted barrier. Someone stumbled into the boundary line and Bella's screams started up again. Tears were streaming down her face and Harry had a horrible feeling that people had been pushed purposely into the boundary by the Death Eaters.

The woman currently inside the boundary hurried back, eyes wide and horrified. Harry and Draco rushed forward as Bella fell unconscious again.

"Can you yank her out of it?" Harry wondered. Draco was already opening a pocket, his eyes focused and determined. He stepped inside and the pocket sealed, leaving Harry standing there for a moment before someone hit him with a Cutting Hex. He turned around and found a trio of Death Eaters ready and waiting for him.

He tried to keep an eye on the barrier where Bella was, but soon his attention was being focused on the attacks.

Screaming pulled his sight back to the lamp, where Bella was standing. Draco was inside the barrier now, his wand out as he waved it around. Bella's screams were growing hoarse and Harry felt his gut wrench as she suddenly fell forward, into Draco's arms.

The barrier that had held Bella shattered violently then. Harry and several others were thrown back by the blast. Harry landed in some bushed, which clung to his robes as he fought his way out of them.

He looked and his breath left him as he saw an all too familiar light racing towards Bella, who'd just risen to her feet. He wanted to jump in front of it, he wanted to warn her, but he was too far and the light was too fast.

Bella awoke with pain, but it was okay. She could hear fighting and shouts and feel the ground again. She couldn't connect to it like she once had but she could feel it.

It was Hogsmeade, beautiful, lovely Hogsmeade. Which meant Hogwarts was nearby. Harry and Draco and her father and godfather. Her Knights, her friends, the people she called family. She breathed deeply of the scent of frost and mud and disgustingly blood but that was okay too. Beneath the frozen ground was sweet earth, familiar earth, and she found herself crying because everything was okay now.

Slowly she shifted her body, which was laying awkwardly against a wall. Everything flared in pain but she bit down the scream, knowing it would only hurt more. She was in so much bloody pain! When she could move without going breathless, she was so smashing Voldemort's face in! She was Bella Malfoy dammit! Empress of the Empire and fuck it if Voldemort got away with hurting her now that he was a lowly mortal like the rest of them!

Heh, lowly mortal. Technically she and Harry weren't mortal anymore. But Tom was. Oh, it would be lovely to tell him to his face. Now where to find him...

She felt Draco first and turned to see her brother sprawled on the ground not to far from her. He was alright though, just knocked out. The earth told her that much.

Then she felt him. Harry. She turned slowly and just managed to find him, half-standing in a prickly bush, when a bright green light blinded her to everything else.

It hit without a sound and yet all the fighting stopped as the ground beneath their feet gave a dull groan. Bella crumpled like a puppet without strings. She just dropped and Harry let out a shout of denial. No. She couldn't be taken from him like that. She was immortal! She was a creation of Life and Death! Nothing could kill her.

Voldemort's laughter rang out over the silence, drawing Harry's gaze away from Bella's crumpled body. "Do you see!" The Dark Lord cried out to the crowd of Death Eaters, Imperial Warriors, Phoenix members, Hogwarts students, and the Hogsmeade villagers. "She is nothing! Nothing but a girl! Nothing but a dead corpse! Do you see your foolishness now!" He cackled and the Death Eaters cackled with him.

Harry felt anger inside him, hot and furious, as he pulled free of the bush and slowly made his way through the crowd. They looked at him as he passed, neither stopping nor saying anything as Voldemort continued to point out the flaws in the people who could believe a mere child would best the great Dark Lord.

Draco was awake by the time Harry reached Bella's side. The blonde had crawled over to her prone form and was now cradling her against his chest. Harry felt the anger intensify as he watched Draco look for a pulse. Bella's neck and wrists were covered in muddy handprints. Her empty eyes were open, her mouth parted as if she'd managed to gasp before the Killing Curse hit her.

Harry's mind conjured up the image of his father and mother, laying in much the same position. Draco was crying now. Heartwrenching sobs Harry had never heard from the other boy before. They twisted in with the anger making a bitterness fill his mouth. He swallowed the bile down though, instead of spewing out the poison brewing in his blood.

"I can't feel it!" Draco screamed as he shook Bella. Her head moved with the motion but those glassy eyes didn't react at all. "She's gone! She's gone! How! Everyone said she couldn't die!"

Harry wanted to join him. He wanted to cry and shout curses at Life and Death. He wanted to just sink into the torn up, frosty ground and just let everything else burn.

But the ground was a reminder of Bella. The earth was bared by spells and pounding feet and Bella's element was under his shoes, under his fingernails, all around. Cold and hard but still the earth. Bella had told him she could feel the earth even under the frost, even under the barren limbs and withered vines of winter.

And Harry found the strength he needed to lift his head as he felt his power once more clash with his mortal foe. Mortal. Easily destroyed. Easily finished off. A simple cutting hex to the jugular would finish him. But Harry wanted him ripped apart from the inside out. He wanted Voldemort smashed into pulp. He wanted to kill him over and over and over until the sharp pain in his chest went away.

"There is no one between us now, Potter." Voldemort's silkly tone made Harry want to snap his neck. Hey. There was a thought. Harry felt his lips twist into a deranged smile as he turned from Draco and Bella. Harry made a great show of wiping his wand clean of blood and mud before stowing it away in his sleeve. Voldemort snarled at him, lipless mouth peeling back to reveal sharp teeth. It would figure the Dark Lord would have inhuman teeth.

"Yes." Harry agreed. "There's nothing between us now." Harry let go then. He reached deep inside himself, where the Aku no Hana resided, somehow meshed with his magic and his life. Aku no Hana. Flower of Evil.

Bella hadn't been evil but Harry knew the potential was there. If one allowed themselves to be taken over by the darkness these flowers thrived on. Harry's smile widened as his aura began to spread out. The Flower of Evil was pulling in the darkness it could sense in the air. Dark power. Bella had wanted a world of Grey but right now Harry wanted to plunge everything into Darkness. Utter Darkness.

He was going to drag Voldemort into that Darkness and have fun ripping apart what was left of his soul.

The power filling him was glorious. Intoxicating and smothering, but in a good way. Harry lost himself in the wave of powers.

In a moment of stillness, Harry recalled the events of the beginning of his fifth year. When Emily had sat him down and told him about the Aku no Hana for the first time. She'd called it the world's greatest drug. And she'd told Harry that love would save him from drowning in it.

_But there's nothing left to love. _Harry thought as he looked down at Bella's lifeless body. How could he ever have fallen for it really? The idea of having Bella for the rest of his life? How could he have believed she wouldn't be taken from him too? It was stupid. Everyone he loved was eventually taken. Sirius would be next, then Hermione and the rest of the Knights. Everyone would be taken.

Unless he ended it now. One great burst of the darkest power. Flowers of Evil thrived on the negative feelings in the world, and Harry was letting his Aku no Hana take in every drop of malice, every shred of darkness.

Voldemort finally snapped out of his awed staring and raised his wand. Harry smirked when he did and lifted his hand.

"You're going to die." Harry informed the once-again mortal wizard. Voldemort's red eyes burned with anger and hatred, which only served to fuel Harry's power. Voldemort's wandtip began to glow green and Harry just laughed at the curse he knew was gathering power there. So they were both going to die then?

Harry could live with that. He could fall into the darkness...so long as he dragged Voldemort to the depths with him.

"Die." Harry commanded just as Voldemort screamed, "Avada Kedavra!"

Black-blue power burst from Harry in the shape of vines, which sped through the air and impaled Voldemort in less than a second, dragging him towards Harry just as the Killing Curse sped through the air and impacted with Harry's body.

The vines began to go haywire as Harry crumpled to the ground. Voldemort gagged and shrieked, his death much slower and a thousand times more agonizing as pure darkness was pumped into what little remained of his poisonous soul.

It took several minutes, during which time no one could approach the two due to the pressure of the power of darkness Harry had gathered. Voldemort's dying wails echoed chillingly.

Draco watched with dull eyes as the darkness began to destroy Voldemort's body, bit by bit starting at his feet. His skin turned purplish and swelled. Skin ripped and tore as he finally lost the ability to scream. Then his body began to burn with black fire, turning skin and bone to little more than ash.

Harry continued to lay motionless on the ground as Voldemort was finally ended for good in front of him. His face was buried in the muddy ground when the black fire finally finished, about five minutes later. Nothing remained of the Dark Lord aside from a small pile of ash that was quickly swallowed up by those vines of darkness.

Silence and stillness filled Hogsmeade as shock settled into almost every heart. Draco though could only curl up with Bella further, putting her head on his shoulder and hugging her tightly. "He did it." Draco whispered into Bella's butchered hair. "And now he's gone with you."

* * *

"Harry."

Harry had been floating in darkness. It had been such a lovely feeling. All those volatile, swirling emotions had leeked out of it and now there was just blissful nothingness. And endless nothingness which he didn't want to leave. Nothing hurt here.

But now his darkness was disrupted and Harry opened his eyes reluctantly to find himself no longer floating. He was laying on his back in a grassy somewhere with a cloudy sky above him and the scent of some flower surrounding him.

"Harry love." The voice tried again, this time accompanied by a gentle shake of his leg. Harry blinked a few times then slowly sat up, keeping his eyes closed for a moment. That voice wasn't Bella's. The pain and the sorrow flooded in as he opened his eyes.

His heart kind of seized as he looked at the person sitting across from him. His eyes darted from the auburn hair to the emerald gaze to the sweet smile on full pink lips. His mother was sitting across from him, wearing the same clothes she'd died in, her face youthful and her expression radiant. Her smile was so warming that Harry felt tears sting his eyes.

"Mum." Harry croaked before launching himself into her waiting arms. Lily Potter laughed softly into his hair and held him tightly as Harry took in the scent of some perfume his mother must have favored in life.

"Ah Harry. You've done so well." Lily said after a short time. Pulling back from her son, Lily cupped his cheeks and smiled once more at him. "You did it. Voldemort will never rise again."

"Good." Harry murmured, looking around for his father. Lily giggled when Harry turned to her with a pout.

"Be patient. Your father had to fetch some people." Lily said and Harry relaxed, taking the time to just lounge in his mother's embrace. Lily had no problems with that.

"I'm dead." Harry said, eyes shut as he felt Lily play with his hair. "Aren't I?"

A snort had Harry opening his eyes to find a very familiar man standing in front of him. "Jett!" Harry gasped as he stared at Bella's sort-of father. Looking past him Harry spotted his own father, the handsome James Potter. A little off to James' left stood Aurora in all her unearthly beauty. Aurora was standing next to a woman Harry felt a vauge recognition towards before his eyes were drawn to the girl standing with the woman's arms around her.

Bella was smiling as she stood there, her grey eyes shining like they usually did.

"Bell." Harry murmured before jumping up and going over to his girlfriend, pulling her away from the woman holding her. Bella went easily into his arms, laughing softly when Harry began patting her back and hair and arms, finding Bella to be very real. "Bell!"

"Harry." Bella said and Harry pulled back to find her grinning. "You're an idiot. It wouldn't have taken anything at all to throw up a shield!" Bella was scowling suddenly and her hand came up to give Harry a hard slap. Harry was surprised for a moment before a laugh bubbled up from him. Bella continued scowling even as Harry tuggd her back into a hug.

"I'm sorry." Harry began. Bella put a hand up and covered his mouth, refusing to let him continue.

An annoyed cough had Harry turning to his father, and Harry gave Bella a squeeze before leaving her to greet his father.

"Harry." Bella called his attention back to her after letting him have a moment with his parents. "This is my mother. My honest-to-goodness-real mother." She added with a laugh as Harry finally recognized Mireya Diaz. She was slightly different from the imposter he'd met, a little shorter and a little curvier, but she was beautiful and Harry could see why Lucius Malfoy had fallen for her even if she was Muggleborn.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Harry." Mireya said, eyes glimmering in the same way Bella's did. "Thank you, for everything you did for mija." Mireya then moved forward to give him a gentle hug that Harry compared to his own mother's and found they were both just as comforting. Mireya drew back, her brown eyes peaceful as she once more took ahold of Bella.

"You did wonderfully, the both of you." Aurora said then, standing with Jett. Lily and James stood next to Harry, arms around each other. Harry smiled at them all then. Dying hadn't been so horrible really, and now he had people he'd cared for and loved at one point or another. "And you're both very foolish for believeing you'd really died."

There was a pause then Harry and Bella both asked, "What?"

The adults laughed, shaking their heads. "Children, you are as immortal as a mortal can be. You will survive for centuries before death takes you." Aurora continued, her gaze amused as Harry and Bella looked at each other. "You've merely had your souls pushed out of your body for a while. Not permanently. Soon enough you'll return. The Aku no Hana binds you to the earth, to the world of mortals, and there you'll return. You cannot truly die. I thought we'd explained this clearly before."

"Well yeah but when Bell didn't jump right up again, I doubted it." Harry admitted, looking over Bella now as if looking for a mark left over from where the Killing Curse hit her.

"The Killing Curse is a powerful, dark curse, with the sole intent on slaying whatever it touches." Mireya said now, warm gaze focused on Bella. "Of course even your souls would be affected by such a thing. The only difference is that you do not immediately pass onto the realm of the dead, but instead you arrive in a place such as this." Mireya gestured to the grassy expanse with its cloudy sky and the scent of something pleasant in the air.

"What is this place?" Bella asked, smiling as she entwined her fingers with Harry's. It was so nice and peaceful here.

"A limbo created by your desires." Lily replied, smiling at Bella who grinned back. "You desired to be together and to see those you thought lost to you. So this place sprang into being and once we felt your call, we arrived at your sides."

Bella smiled up at her mother then, snuggling with Mireya who was holding her tightly.

"It's only for a short time." James spoke up, reaching over to ruffle Harry's hair. "Your bodies are already breathing again. When the Healers cast spells over you, they'll declare you in a coma. But even now your souls are being drawn back to the earth."

Bella suddenly frowned. "I can't control the earth anymore." She reached up a hand to place it over her chest. "That monster tore it out of me, somehow."

Jett's snort again broke the mood. "Of course not. He believed it was your elemental power he took, but it was merely a portion of your magic that allowed you to access it. Otherwise you wouldn't feel anything from the earth anymore. True, you'll no longer be able to bend it to your will, but you can still commune with your element, just as Krum can still hear whispers in shadows, just no longer command them."

Bella perked up and Harry smiled as well.

"So if we ever get hit again with the Killing Curse, we'll just come back here?" Bella wondered.

"Yes." Mireya answered, before narrowing her eyes and turning her daughter around so Bella was under the full power of that irate glare. "But I don't want to see you here for the next three hundred years, got it!"

"Three hundred?" Harry wondered. Aurora smiled.

"Almost four, if you count this century." Aurora murmured. "It's not true immortality. There can be no such thing, else the world would cease to be as it is. But you'll live for many more years than your friends before joining them."

"That's a little sad." Bella admitted. Mireya hugged Bella, kissing her head a few times as she soothed the young woman.

"But it won't be forever. And you'll have children to look after." Mireya whispered in Bella's ear, making Bella blush. Harry happened to look over at her then and Mireya added, "oh yes, I'll have many grandchildren to meet someday." Her blush intensified, causing Harry to shoot her a confused grin. Bella shook her head and heard Jett and James laughing. She stuck her tongue out at them.

"Oh!" Bella gasped, falling through her mother's arms. Mireya looked upset for a moment before a happy smile graced her face. Harry too could no longer be touched.

"Goodbye then, loves." Lily said, crying and smiling as the grassy area began to vanish around them. "We love you!"

Aurora and Mireya, Jett and James also echoed those words. The words echoed around Harry as darkness overtook his mind. It was okay though. Darkness wasn't a bad thing, just like Light wasn't a wholly good thing. You needed both to have balance and balance equalled a happy life.

Harry let himself fall back to the earth, where his soul was anchored by a mystical flower and his soul mate.

* * *

_**I got sappy! I couldn't help it! :) But here you go, one of the last chapters of Aku no Hana. Thank you. **_


	57. The Only Immortal Thing

**~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot. **

* * *

**Part Six **

_**Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Only Immortal Thing**_

No one was quite sure what happened until Harry and Bella awoke. After Voldemort was finished for the last time, Harry and Bella had been gathered up along with the other casualties of the Final Battle. Death Eaters were rounded up and locked away. The few that managed to flee were let go for now.

Harry and Bella had been placed in a room separate from the other dead and injured. The Knights had stood guard. It wasn't until Lucius began to speak of funeral rites that Emily had finally appeared, wearing a smile.

"There won't be any need for that." The Time Holder said as she pointed to the two beds. "Look."

Everyone in the room turned to look and found red-black flowers on dark green vines materializing around their beds. A second later they began to breathe, shallow at first then gaining in strength.

"I told you." Emily had said, making everyone shoot her annoyed looks. "Everything was as it should be."

"You're the most annoying woman I've ever met." Draco had told the Time Holder, making her laugh.

"You always say that." Emily had replied, making Draco roll his eyes.

So for a few hours the Knights and their family held vigil as the red-black blossoms glittered in the sunlight filtering into the room.

Then Bella had sighed and opened her eyes, with Harry doing the same a moment afterward. They sat up in their beds and sought each other out first, slack faces morphing into expressions of happiness. Which turned into delight as they were smothered by their family and friends.

Pomfrey had nearly fainted when she'd been ushered into their room, muttering in bewilderment as she cast diagnostic spells and healed the few injuries they'd sustained during the battle. Bella was put on bed rest, due to the damage her nerves had taken from all the torture, and Harry wasn't willing to leave her bedside, so it was almost three days before they finally ventured out of the room.

The uproar they caused was great. Pomfrey and several others had not felt a pulse from their bodies for two hours before they began to breathe again. In unspoken agreement, Harry and Bella didn't mention the Aku no Hana. They used bits of the truth, such as their soul mate bond, and embellished their lie with enough detail to make it seem plausible. With Bella being the Earth Holder and Harry being the Boy-Who-Lived, the people didn't really have trouble swallowing the lie.

Not one word was spoken about Horcrux or Aku no Hana. The only people who would ever know of the former would be Harry, Bella, and Dumbledore. The latter was only known to their Knights and their family, and it would stay that way. Some things people just didn't need to know.

* * *

Bella smoothed a hand down her rose-gold robes and then reached up to touch her hair. Again she'd refused magical methods of growing it out, instead just working with what was left. Her hair was layered and short now. She couldn't wait for it to grow out. Having short hair made her seem unbearably young and that was the last thing she needed in this new world without Voldemort. She was still the Empress, with allies and people willing to bow at her feet. Not that she'd force anyone to do that but it did well to illustrate how powerful her Gray Era movement had gotten.

"You look fine." Harry said, stepping into the room Bella had been given in Slytherin House all those years ago. It seemed like eons ago, not just a handful of months and days. Bella turned around and smiled when she saw Harry dressed in dark grey robes edged in a darker green. Quirking an eyebrow, she motioned to the color choice making Harry roll his eyes. "Your brother." Harry explained with a shrug that had Bella laughing. Draco and the others were still set on turning Harry into a proper young lord. Harry swore he'd never get the hang of it but Draco wasn't one to give up when he had a mission on his mind.

"I look young." Bella pouted, making Harry laugh now.

"Most wouldn't be put out by that." Harry replied, moving to take Bella's hand in his own. Bella smiled and leaned against him for a moment before straightening.

"Most haven't tried to build an empire from scratch or maintain power." Bella argued, frowning as she swept some of her hair away from her eyes and pinned it back. Harry reached up and unpinned it, making the strands fall back around Bella's face. She frowned in the mirror at him.

"True but most aren't us. We're the single most powerful couple on the planet at the moment and I doubt that's going to change anytime soon." Harry said as he kissed Bella sweetly. Bella sighed happily as Harry pulled back. She had just leaned up to kiss him again when the door to her room slammed open. Bella groaned as Draco entered with a smug smirk. Her big brother knew that he'd interrupted, and she was going to get him back for this later.

"It's time." Draco announced as Harry sent him a glare with no real heat. It was something to do with the whole dying thing, but ever since Harry and Bella awoke again, Draco had finally dropped all pretenses of dislike towards Harry. They bickered and hexed each other still, but always in play and never too seriously. "We have an empire to promote."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Was Harry's response. "So how is that going to work anyway?" He wondered as they left Bella's room and headed out into the dungeons. Reporters and powerful political figrues were waiting for them up in the Great Hall. "Are you two going to rule jointly or what?"

Draco paused to send Harry an entirely too mischievous grin. "Only until the wedding. Then I'll be relegated to a simple prince and you'll be Bella's Emperor."

Harry felt a slight pink dust his cheeks while Bella began to berate her brother for his teasing, her cheeks bright cherry red.

"What! You're soul mates!" Draco huffed as he avoided Bella's wand. "It's only obvious to everyone that you'll be married!"

That stopped Bella though she refused to look at Harry. Harry meanwhile had overcome his little embarrassment and reached out to pull Bella into his arms. "He's got a point." Harry murmured while Draco snickered and rolled his eyes at them.

"We're not even seventeen yet!" Bella snapped. Harry found himself laughing then.

"Details." He uttered with a negligent wave of his hand. Bella gaped at him for a second before Draco snorted.

"Speaking of details, you'll need to choose a date and give all of us time to arrange everything. Weddings don't happen overnight. Well unless you elope..." Draco stopped himself then at the gleam that entered Bella's eyes. "No, you're not eloping! Now compose yourself!" Draco snapped, leading Harry and Bella to break down into loud laughter that was heard through the slightly open doors of the Great Hall. "I mean it! No running off to Paris or Las Vegas! You're going to do this properly or so help me Merlin!"

Lucius cocked an eyebrow at Sirius, who shrugged even as he snickered at Draco's outrage. "Don't look at me, I didn't even know they were that serious." Sirius chuckled.

"It has been coming on ever since Aurora and Jett came into the picture." Severus murmured as the doors swung open at last and Draco strolled in frist, followed by the other Knights, and at last by Harry and Bella. Severus had to admit Potter made an imposing sight, straight-backed and head up, Bella's arm wrapped around his. It had been two weeks since the Final Battle and the reporters hadn't gotten so much as a glimpse of Harry or Bella, which they were now making up for. Bright flashes and questions were thrown at them but the Knights and the two soul mates ignored it all until they reached the dais where their family waited along with a few of the professors and Dumbledore.

The racket died down as Harry and Bella turned to face the people crowding against the dais. Harry smiled and released Bella's arm, letting her take two steps forward so she commanded the attention of everyone in the room.

"I have died and returned." Bella began, which had everyone behind her inwardly smirking. Drama was a great attention-grabber and that sentence was about as dramatic as a person could get. "My goals have not changed now that Voldemort has been vanquished. I still strive towards that Grey Era that will bring peace and stability to our lands. For those who claim Darkness and Light cannot be reconciled, I would direct you to look at your Savior." Bella motioned to Harry, who stood proudly even under the sudden scrutiny. "Look at him and tell me Dark Magic and Light Magic cannot be together, in harmony. He used both in the Final Battle and he has not been corrupted by it."

Bella paused, half-turning to look at Luna then. The Wind Holder was smiling her dreamy smile as she rocked on her heels, probably quietly humming to herself too. "If you believe I am not the right person to rule, then we can work on that. I'll admit the task looks far more daunting now than it ever did." She smiled then, that beautifully dark smile that Harry noticed set his heart to race and heat to spread from his belly. That was a new reaction, not unwelcome though. "But I'm sure if we all work together, if we agree to refashion our world, then we can achieve something wonderful. Together, let's go forth and create a world that we can proudly claim we made with our own two hands."

Cheers went up and Bella was surprised to see more people had crammed into the Great Hall while she was speaking. She smiled though at the Hogwarts students, the Hogsmeade villagers, adults and children and families that had come to support this new world Bella was promising.

"All Hail the Empress!" Someone in the crowd shouted and more cheers went up. Bella couldn't help the genuine smile that spread across her lips, making her look youthful and sweet.

"If you're willing to work with me and my Court, then we shall meet again in a week's time at Malfoy Manor." Bella finished up and then she slightly stepped down from the dais, where she was quickly surrounded by supporters and reporters.

Harry couldn't stop his expression from showing exactly how deeply he felt for the young woman then. Everyone who was looking at him saw it and wondered how exactly he'd hidden such a strong emotion before.

"Truly there's nothing to wait for." Luna piped up as Bella conitnued to work the room. Harry turned to his slightly loony Ravenclaw friend and found her smiling right at him. "Once you're both of age. A Halloween wedding sounds rather lovely and gives us a lot of time to plot and plan."

"Luna!" Harry choked out with a laugh as Luna resumed her bouncing. "You've all gone barmy, haven't you?" He asked, not daring to look at Lucius Malfoy, who was even more intimidating than Snape at the moment.

"Is that your subtle way of saying my daughter's isn't good enough for you, Potter?" Lucius asked silkily, making Harry turn to him with a stupified expression.

"What! No! That's not what I meant!" Harry saw half the reporters had turned to eavesdrop on the commotion they were making but he ignored them for the moment. "Aren't you all supposed to be against this whole thing?" He asked of the adults, wondering why they were being strangely quiet.

Sirius laughed, shaking his head while Remus finally spoke up. "We know it will happen eventually. If not this year then within the next two or three. You are soul mates, Harry, and soul mates are bound together in ways that none can fight. Getting married would be a formality really, since we all know you and Bella are never going to be apart from here on out."

"Plus your whole trip into the land of the dead kind of knocked our priorities in order." Sirius added. "Whatever makes you kids happy." Sirius beamed at his godson before turning to the Knights. "We're including you lot in that as well." He barked, making the Knights grin widely.

Harry chuckled as Bella was suddenly at his side, her face flushed a lovely red. "Who brought up a wedding this time!" She demanded to know. Luna's hand shot up into the air making Bella drop her head with a snort. "Luna!"

Luna tittered and bounced over to Bella, taking her hands in her own and swinging them. "All Hail the Empress!" Luna chirped and the words were repeated, shouted, sent up towards the enchanted ceiling. Bella felt Harry's arm wrap around her waist and sighed.

"Our family is trying to embarrass us to death, aren't they?" Bella murmured as the reporters began to shout questions about marriage and when they could expect this and what Harry's role in the empire would be then.

"Yep." Harry agreed, not needing to mention the pleasure it gave him to hear Bella refer to everyone as their family. He caught the tail-end of George's response to one of the questions then. "I am not going to be her concubine, you great prat!" Harry shouted, while their oh so loving family dissolved into peals of mirth.

* * *

The Island of Lycoris had hardly changed while they were away. Bella smiled as she glanced out the window to the sea rushing onto the beach.

Things had picked up speed once they'd hit February. After much deliberation it had been decided that no one had a problem with Empress Bella Malfoy. They'd worked out a system that suited everyone. A new Ministry was being refashioned, though instead of a Minister, Bella would be the head, and have actual power within the ministry.

Hogwarts' curriculum was being refashioned as well, and many of the laws prohibiting Dark Magic were being reviewed. Most would be thrown out but there were plenty of magicks the empire and ministry could agree should remain illegal.

With all the changes passing through the wizarding world, it wasn't until May that Harry and Bella could take a day off and relax.

They'd Apparated to the Island and decided a day alone was just what the Healer ordered. That isn't to say they had skived off work though.

"It's pretty good, don't you think?" Harry said as he called Bella's attention back to the blueprint for the new ministry building. They were in negotiations with the Muggle Prime Minister. They wanted to expand Diagon Alley, or perhaps build another magical street somewhere in London, where the new ministry building would be set up as well. Many magical architects had risen to the call for plans for the new ministry building. They'd worked on ideas for the last two months and had submitted their ideas to the ministry, which was currently working out of Malfoy Manor.

Harry and Bella were going through them, picking their favorites. No decision would be made without speaking to the Council though, a new institution whose sole purpose was to help the rulers of wizarding Britain. On the council were eleven people and beings. A mix of Light, Dark, creature, and mortal, representing a diverse set of opinions and concerns. Bella was sure they'd give her good insights over the years.

"I don't like how cluttered she made the departments though." Bella pointed out. "Efficiency as well as beauty, that's what I want."

Harry snorted. He found he and Bella disagreed a lot on a variety of things. They'd even had a blistering row back in April when Bella was dead set on dealing with a small rebellion personall and had gone off into a mini-battle, ending up with a shattered tailbone and a dislocated shoulder.

But the disagreement helped Harry when he started worrying things were going a little too well. He was sure he'd need a while to get over that general sense. He'd had Voldemort looming over his life for too long to simply let that feeling go. Arguing with Bella, about anything, helped ground him.

Yes, it was a little messed up, but the weren't exactly a normal couple. They were happy together, and to Harry that's all that mattered.

"This one." Bella said, pulling out her favorite blueprint from the bottom of the pile. "This one is the best."

"For you." Harry smirked as Bella huffed at him. "You've been extra snobby this week, Bell. Any reason why?" Harry asked. Bella laughed and dropped down on his lap, making Harry grin as he hugged her closer.

"Everything's going so well." Bella replied. "Can you blame me for feeling a little smug about that?"

Harry kissed her, mentally shaking his head. No. He really couldn't. Besides, for all her sweetness, his soul mate was a Malfoy, first and foremost. He expected to have to deal with her snobby side frequently in the years to come.

He was looking forward to it.

* * *

"You know, all this finally made me realize something." Bella was saying to Draco as they strolled through the new Majestic Alley. It was connected to Diagon Alley shortly before Bella's seventeenth birthday. After weeks of negotiations, they'd managed to buy the rights to magically modify two whole miles of Muggle London. It had taken the wizarding contractors most of the summer to do just that, setting down the foundations and altering Muggle properties to create the necessary space for more businesses. The two mile stretch ended in the grand new Ministry building that would begin being built in September.

"Hmm?" Draco looked over at his sister as they were watched by the many construction workers who were building the shops and restuarants. People had flocked from all over Europe to buy up space. News of the revolution occuring in Wizarding England was daily news. Maybe not headline news but hardly a day passed by when other nations and peoples didn't discuss England or Empress Bella.

"For all that Voldemort wanted immortality, he was never going to have it." Bella replied, pausing to inspect the theater that would soon enough be presenting operas, ballets, musicals, and plays.

"What makes you say that?" Draco knew that Bella and Harry had found out how Voldemort came back a second time, but they refused to tell anyone about it.

"These past three years have taught me that there's only one truly immortal thing in this world." The ebony-haired girl smiled at her brother, silver gaze shimmering.

"And what would that be? Please don't be sappy and say love!"

Bella's smile grew and she beamed at her brother. "Change, Draco. Change. No matter if the times are good or bad. Things will change. On their own, through the effort of others. That's the only thing anyone on this world can count on. So you see, Voldemort didn't stand a chance. Even if he'd managed to live an extended life, it would eventually have ended. Not even Jett and Aurora could escape that."

Draco was nodding in agreement by the time Bella finished. "And it's insights like that, that will make you a great empress." He told his sister, who laughed.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Bella wondered as they were approached by the man in charge of the Ministry building site.

As he watched his sister draw herself up to address the man who was old enough to be their grandfather with all the command of an empress, Draco wondered how long this change would last.

Whether it lasted for centuries or only a few decades though, Draco could be quite smug about the fact that it had only come about because they had dared to push the boundaries and break them down.

That would be their immortal legacy.

* * *

_**And that's that. There's going to be a little epilogue but as for the main story, this is the end. :) Thanks ever so much for hanging in there with me!**_


	58. Epilogue: 10 Years Later

**~Waga Routashi Aku no Hana~  
My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil**

* * *

**J.K. Rowling is sole owner of the HP universe. I own only the OCs and the plot. **

**And here we are. The final piece to a story that took me forever! I think I might get a little weepy here...**

**Many of you had to wait ages for me to update. I'm sure most of you cursed me when it seemed like I'd just dropped off the face of the earth. :) So here's to you, kind readers. For your patience, your reviews, and for making this a favorite story of yours. It makes me a little sad though, to say The End, but hey, change is the only immortal thing, right? Hehe. I don't know what more I can say, aside from another heartfelt Thank You! **

**Please enjoy the epilogue of Waga Routashi Aku no Hana: My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil. **

* * *

_**Epilogue: Ten Years Later...**_

The door of her office slamming open was nothing new. Bella, who had been standing up and shaking a finger at the Head of International Relations, paused in her rant to smile as her children stumbled to a halt.

"Oops!" Seven-year-old James Sirius flashed a charming smile that in no way showed any remorse for barging into the Imperial Office. "Sorry Mama!"

"Yeah, sorry!" Five-year-old Mireya Isabella echoed her big brother, though she did manage to look sheepish at the very least.

Bella rolled her eyes heavenward for a moment before chuckling softly. "We'll finish this discussion at a later time." Bella said dismissively to the Head, who quickly vacated the office. He at least looked very sorry. But then again he had just narrowly avoided an international fiasco after insulting the Prince of India last week. Honestly, sometimes Bella wished she hadn't signed that contract which prohibited her from hexing the Ministry workers. Either she was getting soft in her late twenties or they were going senile. Whatever the case, elections for the Heads of Department were coming up and Bella was going to make sure certain people got booted out if it was the last thing she did as Empress.

"Was he a bad boy Mami?" Mireya asked as she skipped over to Bella and buried her face in Bella's skirts. While Bella preferred robes when at work, she had also taken to wearing gowns from time to time. With her hair hanging to her hips and the Malfoy charm, Bella was a beauty, as her name implied. She'd grown from a pretty girl into a lovely woman and life couldn't be better if she tried.

"Si, mija." Bella replied. "Very bad."

Ten years of peace had reigned since the death of Voldemort. Once the new Ministry building was finished being built and everyone was set up, things began to run a lot more smoothly. Laws were discarded, passed, and remade with mostly mutual agreement. Bella had to fight for a few things, such as the mandate that the Ministry create a task force to monitor and help educate Muggleborn children. It had taken months of fighting to get it passed, until Harry, bless him, had spoken of his time with the Dursleys and how his lack of any sort of introduction to magic had really hindered him when he finally rejoined the wizarding world.

Even now, at twenty-seven, Harry still found new things to marvel at within their world. Their children, happily, took most of the magical world for granted.

They'd married on Halloween, the year they turned eighteen. They had decided not to have any children for at least five years. Like most things though, that plan had fallen through. They both blamed Sirius, who had conspired with Emily, and gotten them both so sloshed that they'd forgotten the contraceptive charm.

Thus was concieved and born James Sirius Malfoy Potter, Imperial Prince of Wizarding England. They'd named him after the man responsible for his birth because really they had been ecstatic to become parents. With his messy black hair and his silver eyes he looked astonishingly alike to a young Sirius. Harry had once told Bella it was a sign that the boy was just born to be a Marauder.

When they realized they could balance the duties of their empire along with parenthood, they'd tried for a second. Princess Mireya Isabella had inherited Lily's eyes and Bella's smile. Well Harry said it was Bella's smile, Bella said it was Harry's, and the rest of the family was divided.

"So what're you two doing here?" Bella asked, moving to a couch where she could cuddle with her two children.

"Papa sent us to check on you." James laughed, looking down as he put a hand on Bella's stomach. "Hi babies!" James said then.

Bella smiled as she put a hand over her son's. In about four months she'd be having twins. Two boys, to be named Albus Severus and Lucius Hadrian. Harry was as excited as he'd been with the first two pregnancies though he did worry a little since Bella had been having a rather rough time of it so far. But at least the blasted morning sickness had passed, thank Merlin. Bella figured she was overdue for all the aches, swelling, and morning sickness anyway since James and Mireya had been very easy pregnancies.

"When did he do that?" Bella wondered. Harry was currently over in Germany, hashing out a treaty with the German King. A messy coup had occurred in Germany two years ago and they were just now laying out their own new kingdom. A fair few of the wizarding governments were reverting back to the old monarchy model following the success of England's reformation.

"He called on our mirrors." James replied, meaning the enchanted mirrors that Sirius had given them upon James' birth. Bella loved the mirrors, since it helped them stay connected, especially when they were separated. Everyone in the immediate family had one.

"Typical of your father." Bella teased. "Him and his hero-complex."

"That's the understatment of the century." The familiar drawl had James and Mireya squealing in delight as they hopped off the couch to greet their Uncle Draco. Draco had to give them one-armed hugs though, as he was holding his son, Scorpius Hyperion, in the other.

Although Draco and Emily hadn't worked out, both of them were very happy. Emily had been sad that she couldn't be with Draco but she'd surprised everyone when she'd married Sirius about four years ago. They were quite happy and had a little girl, Portia, and a little boy, Orion. Emily had revealed at their last get-together that she and Sirius were expecting another baby girl, who Emily had forseen was going to be called Berenice.

As for Draco, he'd finally given up bachleorhood only two year's ago for a pretty Spanish witch named Catalina, who served as one of Bella's Council members. When they'd finally met Cati, Severus had been unable to resist asking the Malfoy men what their fascination with Spanish ladies was. Which had led them to telling Catalina about Mireya. Catalina had been surprised and then had pinned Draco with such a look that Bella had laughed herself silly as Draco stuttered about his father being the fickle one. Lucius had borne it all gracefully, as only a Malfoy lord could.

Scorpius was only a month old but already Draco was planning on calling his first born daughter Narcissa. Bella had warned Cati about that and her sister-in-law had laughed while promising to hex Draco if he didn't wait at least a year before they tried for another child. And Cati would. She was a perfect Lady Malfoy.

"Did you fire that imbecile yet?" Draco asked once he'd settled down beside his sister. Once James had been born, Draco had been relegated to the title of Duke, which suited him just fine. He was in charge of the Knights and Warriors division of the Imperial Army. Since he made up part of the original Knights, he commanded great respect from the men and women who lived to serve.

"Nope." Bella replied. "But only because my babes came in and saved his skinny arse." She added in a hushed tone that had Draco laughing. They sat and chatted until lunch, when Draco demanded they go to the cafeteria and eat something. Catalina met up with them, pleased to see her husband and son.

* * *

"Hermione!" Bella whined as her friend primped in front of the mirror. "I don't want to go." She pouted. Hermione laughed and shook her head, turning to fuss with Bella's elegantly curled hair. The Empress was dressed in royal purple robes with silver embroidery. A glittering crown sat off to the side on a velvet cushion, waiting to be put on.

"Harry will be back tomorrow night." Hermione replied, correctly guessing why her friend didn't want to attend the formal Ministry gala. "You promised ages ago that you'd go."

"I can change my mind." Bella argued. "I am the Empress."

"Which is why you won't go back on your word." Hermione said, causing Bella to curse but give in. After another futile attempt to get out of her promise, Bella allowed her best girl friend to bully her out of her bedroom in Malfoy Manor. It seemed too big in there when Harry was gone, so Bella usually had her children sleep over with her.

When they descended into the family sitting room they found James and Mireya teaching Hermione's two children, Rose and Bellamy, some dance moves. They weren't going to be attending this function, though it wasn't odd for the Imperial family to be seen together at formal events. Bella paused for a moment to look at Rose and Bellamy, who had lovely mocha complexions and dark, intelligent eyes. Blaise was very proud of his children, though both he and Hermione had agreed two was enough for them.

Also in attendence were Frank, Lysander, and Lorcan. Neville and Luna's children. Frank was a year older than James and the twins Lysander and Lorcan were Mireya's age. Fleur and Bill's children, Victorie and Dominique were ten and eight respectively.

Padma had surprised everyone when she announced she was getting married to Fred. George married his old school friend, Angelina. Padma and Fred had two daughters, Lakshmi and Georgia. George and Angelina had a son, Fred, and their little girl Roxanne.

Crabbe and Goyle weren't married. Both had said they probably never would, since they enjoyed their jobs as Heads of Defense and the Treasury.

Viktor was also a part of Bella's Council, and he mostly served as liasion between the vampire covens and the Ministry. He was set to marry a Russian witch called Daria in the autumn. She was the youngest daughter of the Russian Minister.

The children would be babysat by Lucius, who had never remarried. When asked why by a nosy reporter, Lucius had replied that he had had two loves in his life and that had been enough. Draco and Bella knew Lucius was looking forward to the whatever that lay after death. Not that he was actively seeking ways to cut his own life short, but they were sure Lucius wouldn't be at all upset when his final days came. He had two lovely wives waiting for him, after all.

Severus hadn't married either. He was happy being Hogwarts' Headmaster and spending his time between the school and Malfoy Manor. Not that a few witches hadn't tried to catch his attention. Severus had very firmly told his godchildren that they were family enough and he had no need for more. Considering by family he counted the first Knights and all their children, they had let it be.

Remus had ended up with Nymphadora Tonks, and so far they'd had a son called Teddy. Teddy was a Metamorphmagus, just like his mother, and also Harry's godson. Harry had been honored when they'd asked him to be the boy's godfather ten years ago, when Teddy was born in the April following Voldemort's death.

The rest of the Weasleys had prospered very nicely once things began to settle. Charlie still worked with dragons, and had, with Remus' help, written several books about them. Percy and Arthur did well in their Ministry positions. Bella had made Arthur her official Muggle ambassador about five years ago, while Percy had risen to Deputy Head of the Department of Justice, which was the court system that had replaced the Wizengamot.

Although Draco had wanted to make life miserable for Ron and Ginny, Bella had made sure he hadn't. Ron had managed to get over himself over the last ten years and had actually gotten onto the Chudley Cannons team, becoming their Star Keeper and the reason for their rising success. He wasn't married yet but he was supposedly very serious with his fellow Gryffindor Lavender Brown. Ginny had gotten signed onto the Holyhead Harpies and had gotten married to Dean Thomas. They had a little boy named Daniel.

"Bella!" Hermione's sharp call of her name had Bella snapping out of her thoughts, to find Hermione rolling her eyes. "Come on then."

"Alright." Bella sighed, leaning down to kiss James and Mireya. They'd probably be fast asleep when she returned. She also moved over to kiss her father's cheek. "Don't let them stay up too late, Father." Bella grinned, knowing he'd do just that no matter what she said. Lucius spoiled his grandchildren rotten.

"Try and have a good time. Harry would want that." Lucius replied, making Bella pout.

"Well now I have to, since you said that!" She huffed. The gathered children laughed as Bella and Hermione headed out to the Apparition point, where the other Knights were already waiting for their Empress.

* * *

The Ministry gala was nice. It was an excuse for discussions to be held outside of the conference rooms. The idea was that more work would get done if people were happily buzzed and in a more relaxed atmosphere. Bella just thought her Ministry deserved a break every now and then for all their hard work.

Once all the bowing and curtsying had been done with, Bella moved about the ballroom easily. Knights lined the walls, and one of her first Knights was always with her. Even though England had been at peace for most of this time, it hadn't stopped some fools from trying to assassinate her. Each attempt had failed of course. The Aku no Hana had nullified the effects of every poison, helped absorb the malicious affects of every curse, and had even drained the magic from one witch who had dared to threaten James and Mireya.

Harry had almost talked her into giving up the throne then, but Bella had fought against it. She wasn't going to even think of stepping down until James and Mireya were of age and she had assured herself she'd provided enough of a solid foundation for them to either continue or change the current system. Harry and she hadn't spoken for nearly a month after that argument.

Sighing, Bella wished Harry was with her. For whatever reason, some people still hadn't gotten it through their heads that Bella and Harry were soul-mates. As in bond together forever and wanting no others. Harry still got proposals at least five times a week, from witches and wizards who promised him the world if he'd drop Bella and run away with them. Harry laughed over every single one, usually burning them. Some were so outrageous he just had to write back replies. That usually led to Howlers, but those were funny too.

Bella got her own propositions from some of the European rulers, which she politely declined. It was the fate of young rulers, she figured. People would try to hack and break them down because they believed Bella and Harry could be easily manipulated. The people who thought that were idiots, and Bella had no qualms saying so, once she'd secured peace treaties or whatever else she wanted from them. Bella had survived torture from Voldemort's wand. Harry had survived several encounters with him and ended his life. They were plenty strong enough to run an empire.

"Careful Bell, some would think you're not happy to be here." Bella gasped and whirled around to find her husband behind her, wearing his own set of deep purple robes and a silver circlet on his head.

"Harry!" Bella cheered, not caring what people would say, as she threw her arms around Harry, who wrapped her up in his own. They stood there for a few seconds just breathing in each others' scents and soaking up the warmth of those arms. In that meantime their subjects had bowed and curtsied. Harry still got a little disconcerted by that, but by now he'd learned how to hide that discomfort. He'd known that becoming Bella's Emperor would come with even more fame and scrutiny from the public, but his wife and children more than made up for that.

"I got back earlier than I thought." Harry murmured as he brushed a chaste kiss on Bella's lips. "Lucius told me you were here, so I hurried up and got dressed."

"You must be exhausted." Bella argued softly, sending him a semi-cross look. Harry still had that habit of putting others before himself. Thankfully it had never had any serious reprecussions

Harry laughed as he led his wife out onto the dance floor, where other couples made space for them directly in the center. Bella relaxed after one more glare at her husband. She'd just make him sleep in tomorrow, though that would be difficult since Harry was used to going out and training with the Knights in the mornings.

With Harry back at her side, Bella felt utterly content once more. She had all she could want. Loving friends, a huge family, a husband who adored her, children who made her days bright, and a place in the world that she could be proud of holding. It had come with war, strife, pain, tears, and death but damn if it wasn't worth all that suffering.

She was happy and looking forward to the future that glittered brightly whenever she closed her eyes.

* * *

Bella and Harry shared a smile as they led two children into the Garden of Lycoris. One was a girl, about seven years old. The other was a boy, almost twelve. The boy was auburn haired and brown eyed, named Cole. The girl was blonde with vibrant grey eyes, named Dawn. Bella had kept an eye on these two children after Emily had informed her the new Life Holder had been born. Bella had been so upset when the previous little Life Holder had died, but Emily had told her it was meant to be, as sad as it was.

Now that they were a little older, and Bella had informed their parents of the powers their children would begin to manifest, she'd gotten permission to bring them to this place. This island untouched by Muggles or time. They'd paid a little stop to the hill, where Aurora and Jett had been laid to rest, and Bella had told the two youngsters an editted version of her tale.

Now they were on the edge of the Garden, where really Bella's own life began. She wouldn't be who she was without Aurora and Jett's creation.

"Don't be afraid." Harry was saying as he stepped into the Garden first, to show Cole and Dawn that everything was fine. The two children shared a look then followed the Emperor into the garden. Bella stepped in last and the familiar blossoms responded as she did so. They unfurled and released clouds of sweetly scented purple pollen. Cole and Dawn gasped at the beautiful sight then giggled as they were lightly covered in the pollen. Their bodies were surrounded by a purplish glow as the pollen seemed ot melt into their skin.

"What just happened?" Cole asked, looking wary.

"You were being welcomed." Bella replied with a smile. "These flowers recognized you as Life and Death."

Dawn giggled some more. "They're so beautiful!" She exclaimed as she reached out to touch one of the nearby flowers.

"They are, aren't they?" Harry agreed, moving to stand beside Bella, an arm around her waist, a hand on her growing stomach.

Cole looked over at Dawn then at the glittering blossoms.

"We made these." Dawn chirped at him then, smiling brilliantly as she faced him. "What were they called again?"

"Aku no Hana. Beautifully elegant, Flowers of Evil." Cole murmured, the words feeling as if he'd spoken them before. He paused, trying to remember if he'd heard that somewhere once, then shrugged it off. Bella and Harry were calling to them now, planning on taking them to the bungalow to show them a few of Jett and Aurora's notes and journals.

At the gate to the Garden of Lycoris, Cole paused then held his hand out to Dawn, who blushed and giggled but took the offered hand. They shared a smile before hurrying to catch up to the powerful rulers waiting for them at the end of the path.

* * *

_**The End**_


End file.
